Former Menifee waitress killed in Vegas is remembered

Candice Bowers (far left) is shown with other waitresses during a party in Boston Billie's several years ago. Photo courtesy of Merna Ibrahim

Longtime residents of the Sun City community in Menifee still remember Candice Bowers for her smile and caring nature as much as her work ethic as the head waitress at Boston Billie's Restaurant in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Abe Ibrahim and his daughter Merna knew Bowers better than most, and they are in mourning this week after learning that Bowers was one of 58 people killed by a shooter at a country music festival in Las Vegas last Sunday.

"It shocked me," said Abe Ibrahim, who gave Bowers her first waitress job around 1995. "All those people killed, and Candice was one of them. Our customers still know her. I had two this morning who were shocked when they heard."

Bowers, 40, had been living in Garden Grove the last few years. The single mother of a 20-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, she had recently adopted her 2-year-old niece. Having lost her mother at a young age, Bowers was dealing with a lot when she first walked into Boston Billie's in the Cherry Hills Plaza all those years ago.

"I knew her grandmother," Abe said. "Candice .. she had a rough time in life. She told me that. She lost her mom and she had two little kids. Her grandmother told me, 'Please give her a job.' "

Abe Ibrahim is well known as a successful businessman and benefactor in the community. He has given a chance to many employees who had no previous experience in the food industry, his daughter Merna said. When Bowers walked into his restaurant, she asked for a chance. Abe was happy to give it to her and taught her the business.

"She didn't know anything about a waitress job, but she came to be the best one," Abe said Bowers, shown at left in a recent photo. "She was the head waitress, really the manager of the restaurant. She was my right hand.

"In those days, we had like 30 waitresses. When we had a staff meeting, I let Candice handle it. She would close, open, do whatever was needed. The old Boston Billie's had a chandelier. She used to take all the glass out, like on a slow Monday, and clean it herself."

(Photo courtesy of KLAS-TV)

Merna Ibrahim now runs the restaurant, having remodeled and renamed it Merna's Cafe with the support of her parents, who still work there and greet longtime customers on a daily basis. They consider their employees family members -- none more so than Bowers, Merna said.

Merna remembers being about 8 years old and following Bowers around the restaurant, learning the business from her at a very young age.

"I would follow her around," Merna said. "I was like her helper. There were certain people who worked here, like the woman at the register, Pam ... she taught me how to make change. Candice would help me, show me how to carry more than two plates, how to balance them. She'd show me how to write the checks. I'd carry the drinks for her."

Bowers worked long hours at the restaurant and would sometimes stay late and help Merna with homework, she said. Bowers would often bring in her young daughter Katie, who is now 16. The little girl loved to spend time with Abe, Merna said.

"Her daughter looked exactly like her," Abe said. "She came here not too long ago and I asked how her mother was. When she was little, she would come into the restaurant, see me and jump at me, like my baby."

Everybody in town loved her. When they see this, they will remember her. Some people, when they knew her story ... she had no husband and two kids ... they used to give her things for her kids. She loved people."

The Ibrahims have many photos of Bowers and their family during the Boston Billie's days. They kept in touch via social media and Bowers would drop by whenever she was in town.

"One thing I admired about her was even though she came from a hard life, she was always positive," Merna said. "She was a hard worker and she never let anything get to her. When my dad would get stressed, she would be like, 'Abe, you need to calm down.'

"She was very honest and very caring. We never considered her an employee. She was like family. The staff back then was one of a kind, like one big family, and she ran things. I still can't believe it."

A GoFundMe site has been set up to help the family. To contribute, click here.