HUNDREDS BID ALOHA TO JADE

Hundreds – perhaps between 600 and 700 – turned out yesterday (July 7) for the Celebration of Life for Jade Stice at the Koolau Ballroom in Kaneohe.

It was SRO, for certain, and the throngs gave her a thunderous standing ovation at the end of the program, which wound up with a mass singing involving the attendees, of “Let the Sunshine In”  the signature from “Hair.”

Jade – who died in a hiking mishap June 6 in San Diego – adored sunrises and  commonly used to get up early to witness the morning glow, from Kaneohe or from Sandy Beach. Her Facebook posts often show her as the sun rose.

The celebration of Jade’s life – a mixture of gladness and sadness and emotions in-between – was surely a reflection of love of life and the connections of love with those in attendance.

The takeaway: Jade was beloved by those who knew her, as she built communities she encountered: school chums, acting peers, mothers whose needs she helped while heading one of her passions, the Hawaii Family Hui, budding singers, actors and dancers she helped shape in several summers under the auspices of the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation, a theatrical company and molders of future stage souls, organized in the spirit of the late Ronald Bright, her Castle High School mentor who inspired her to seek a career in theater.

• Another takeaway, albeit a bit of surprise: her eldest son, Jet Finley, brought some clarity to the cloudy and unexpected death of his mom, and the final hours he spent with her following the tragedy. Jet offered two stunning memories – the one-on-one time he enjoyed  with mom before the arrival of his siblings, Georgia and Tiger, and “the best time I spent with her” in the final four hours of Jade’s life following the fatal accident.
• (Paraluman Stice-Durkin, Jade’s sister, provided further details following the celebration; that Jade and Jet were on a mother-son trip to San Diego and Mexico. “Part of the adventure that she planned was a hike called the Slot Trail in Anza-Borrego State Park. The trail is 1.5 miles long through a famous slot canyon. Jade and Jet set off with plenty of water and snacks,” said Paraluman.

(The hike was during the day; the pair apparently got off track, traveling in a wrong direction, and temperature was as high as 120 degrees, and Jade got overheated, but Jet located a cave with shade for his mom, and he sought help since there was no cell reception where they were.

(Jade quickly got overheated, so Jet found a cave for her to get some shade. He went to find help since there was no cell reception where they were. “Jet eventually made it back to the car, himself overheated and struggling to remain lucid,” said Paraluman. “At the trailhead, he called 911 and a helicopter rescue was ordered. They found Jade at the bottom of a washed out area of the canyon.”

(A helicopter arrived with CPR and AED aid, but unfortunately without success. Jet was found at the trailhead and was examined and treated  for rehydration.

(“We are beyond thankful of the miracle that Jet is still with us and his survival is truly the silver lining of this tragedy. He was smart, strong and brave through this entire nightmare,” said Paraluman)…

Folks who spoke or sang certified Jade was loved and cherished, like Leesa Souza, speaking with her husband Kaala, revealing she and Jade were “besties” well before the term flourished, wearing matching clothes and hairstyles early in their friendship; like Jacquelyn Holland-Wright, a Castle chum who has been starring in Las Vegas’ company of “Menopause, the Musical,” for decades, chirping an appropriately-themed “I Know You by Heart;” like Allan Lau, who championed IABK’s summer workshops with Jade, reciting her lyrics to “Now Fly to the Skies;” like John Bryan, another Castle alum, delivering “A Mother’s Prayer” as only a pal could; like sister Paraluman Stice-Durkin,  repeatedly pointing out Jade’s tenacity; like sister Ligaya Stice, recalling a side of Jade few have personally experienced, remembering Jade’s first role directed by Mr. B, playing a Munchkin in “The Wizard of Oz” but not Dorothy, and learning even little roles are vital in a show; and Ligaya offering another remembrance, when Jade did not know how to end her “West Side Story” role as Maria, she was reminding what Mr. B always said an actor tells a story and has to find a conclusion.

Jade always brightened a room with her smile, her joy, and her presence; on stage, with a spotlight and a role that embraced her stunning voice, she created theater magic, time after time.

She died at age 53, far too young for someone who had so much artistry to share. Imagine the reunion she’s having with Mr. B, in the grand theater in the skies…

And that’s Show Biz…