She loved animals, had endless compassion and kindness, and even her own language.
South Surrey’s Kailey Rae Jean was only 19 when she lost her life suddenly and tragically, in a single-vehicle crash on July 7 in Abbotsford. She was the passenger.
As her family and friends struggle to come to terms with their loss, the South Surrey White Rock Minor Association is also rallying behind their beloved teammate – who played with the SSWRMSA for most of her life – and sharing the information for a GoFundMe meant to help her family with the costs of a funeral and/or celebration of life.
The Ray Shepherd Elementary and Elgin Park Secondary graduate also worked locally, at Boston Pizza and Petland, and leaves behind her parents, a younger brother, and an older sister with whom she was extremely close.
Kailey’s mom Niki Jean recalled the night of July 7 with a voice thick with emotion.
“The police came to my door around 9:30 or 10 p.m. that evening. Surrey police (came to) the house and broke the news and … my world just shattered,” she said, her voice breaking, noting Kailey had turned 19 on June 8, barely a month before the fatal crash.
She had been attending the Justice Institute for law enforcement studies, Niki shared, and had the biggest heart, a quirky sense of humour, and a real connection with animals of all kinds, including a rescue cat, Boo, and even a spider.
“She was super shy but not shy. So initially when you would meet her, she would be reserved, but the second you got to know her, she was the loudest, most vibrant person you’d ever know,” Niki, who is self-employed, said. “She just literally would make everybody laugh.”
She talked about how Kailey loved playing softball, and how she played with the SSWRMSA from the age of five to 17, when she took a short break, but then returned to play this season.
“She never missed a game, never missed a practice, and her face when you brought her to the field would light up and she was just beaming (and) having so much fun. So she decided this year that she was going to take it up again,” Niki shared.
“She played a couple of games and was … going to be playing in the provincials with the girls … she never got that opportunity,” she said, her voice thick with tears, noting that “it doesn’t doesn’t hurt to talk about it – it just hurts in general.”
In a post on Facebook, SSWRMSA president Thomas Bell noted how Kailey grew up playing with the association, and recalled how, “in her very first at bat as a senior player, she ripped a triple, as if she had never left the game she loved.”
“She was strong, quick, silly with her friends, and deeply connected to her teammates. The friendships she made on the field were friendships for life,” Bell said in the post.
Her teammates were playing at provincials with Kailey in mind, he continued, saying the SSWRMSA’s senior Thunder’s run to the provincial silver medal was bittersweet, emotional and unforgettable.
“The team played with grit, determination, and unity, but above all, they played for Kailey. They carried her spirit with them – her smile, her energy, her love for the game, and the joy she brought to every dugout she ever stepped into,” Bell said. “Kailey will be greatly missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to know her. Rest in peace, Kailey Jean. You will always be part of Thunder,” the post concluded.
The male driver of the car involved in the fatal crash has been released from hospital, Abbotsford Police confirmed, and “the investigation continues with our Major Crime Unit investigating.”
“We are still looking for dashcam footage and witnesses and at this time,” an email from Abbotsford PD noted, with a news release sharing that detectives “have learned that several individuals may have been in the area at the time of the crash or shortly afterward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225.
The family is planning a Celebration of Life for this Sunday, July 26, and funds raised through the GoFundMe – as of July 23, more than $26,000 had been donated – will go towards those costs.
They’ll remember their sister and daughter as vibrant and brimming with life.
“Everything that Kailey did, she did on her own accord. She lived life to the absolute fullest. She did what she wanted, when she wanted,” her sister Mackenzie noted.
“She wanted the most out of life and she really did as much as she could to get it. She inspires me to live life like that, too.”