Playmate Revisited: Candy Loving

On March 31, 1978, Candy Loving marched into a Norman, Oklahoma Ramada Inn to meet Playboy's photo editors for the 25th Anniversary Playmate Hunt. Yes, she was gorgeous. But it was her down-home charm (she ordered chocolate milk instead of coffee and talked about her family) that caught our eye. Fast as you could say "small town," the girl from Ponca City, Oklahoma with no modeling experience was named the 25th Anniversary Playmate. We called her "Playmate Perfect." You can see why. Today, Candy is a businesswoman who looks back fondly on what she calls "the Playboy years. I learned so much traveling around the country to promote the magazine--confidence, diplomacy, how to deal with people. What propelled me out of Oklahoma has made me grounded. It's been wonderful."