Jason Bradley Scaccia

Artistic, abstract, and imaginative, our son was often misunderstood, yet he communicated encouragement, positivity, and empathy very easily and with an innate sweetness. Jason had a great capacity for understanding the gambit of humanity—the beauty in all of us, as well as the baseness that comes with being human. He had experienced it all, yet the social challenges he faced never altered or adulterated the good within. He came home to us every day sweet and so positive about others—the Jason his teachers, friends, and family all know him to be. He cared that people and the environment were treated fairly and with justice. Jason wanted to invent a robot that would clean our waterways and collect the plastic pollution in our oceans. He looked at everyone as a human —flawed yet capable of great love—and he always believed that the latter was the precedent in all of us no matter how undignified people behaved.

A free spirit and self-proclaimed artist, Jason was a dancer, sculptor, painter, engineer, scientist, and scout— though, of course, he was so much more. He enjoyed gardening and looking for bugs. He performed as a ballet and hip-hop dancer and loved every minute in the studio and on stage. He dreamed of being an engineer and often designed creations out of mundane objects, like plastic cups, rubber bands, and pieces of cardboard. He loved science experiments and learning about the natural world and how things worked. He had a wonderful sense of comedy that brought so much levity and light to our lives. His curiosity, intelligence, and energy astounded and impressed us beyond measure, but his love for all things gave us the most pride.

We miss and love him like crazy, and we always will.

We want to express our immense gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach and at Harbor UCLA for their care and fortitude. We commend and will never forget the enormity of their commitment, compassion, and expertise. They are resoundingly singular.

Jason Bradley Scaccia is survived by his younger sister, Ella; his parents, Erin Suyehara and Kenneth Scaccia; grandparents, Robert and Josephine Suyehara; his aunt, Kelly Suyehara; her son, Dylan; and, her husband, Alex Smith.

If you feel comfortable doing so, please consider making a donation to RKDC, in lieu of sending flowers. Jason thrived as a dancer with his teachers and fellow artists, and we know that he would have continued dancing for
years to come. www.rkdc.org