When the news began to spread last Friday that Kapa’a Elementary School principal Cliff Bailey had suddenly died at home earlier that day, his friends, family and peers across the island knew they had lost a great member of the
When the news began to spread last Friday that Kapa’a Elementary School principal Cliff Bailey had suddenly died at home earlier that day, his friends, family and peers across the island knew they had lost a great member of the Kaua’i community.
And as several of them made the final plans for a memorial service tomorrow afternoon, some of his closest confidants took a few minutes Tuesday to look back at Bailey’s contributions to the children, business community and the island at large.
After graduating from the University of Hawai’i in 1978 — and coaching football, basketball and baseball with local youth — Bailey moved to Kilauea in 1981, where he began his almost two decades of educating on Kaua’i as a counselor at Hanalei and Kilauea public schools, later transferring to Kapa’a High and Intermediate School.
As Bailey advanced through his administrative career — first as vice principal at Kapa’a High and Intermediate, then principal of Waimea Canyon Elementary — Kaua’i School District superintendent Daniel Hamada said he quickly realized Bailey’s gift for dealing with students.
When Bailey took the job of principal at Kapa’a Elementary in 1989 — then one of the largest elementary schools in the state — Hamada said the man endearingly known to his students as “Mr. Bailey” focused on what was best for the children in whatever decision he had to make.
“Cliff always kept the best for the kids in mind,” Hamada said. “Whenever we talked about what might happen as a result of our choices, he never lost sight of what would benefit them the most. That’s what I learned most from him in the years we worked together.”
In addition to the many hours Bailey devoted to his school, he was an active member of the Kapa’a Rotary Club, in which he attempted to bring together the leaders of today with the prospects of the future.
While working with the organization’s Kaua’i Rotary Youth Foundation program and the Rotary Interact Club, which involved bringing students into the business community, Kaua’i County Councilman and Rotary member Gary Hooser said Bailey also involved club members and students more directly.
One time, Hooser said, a student came to Bailey’s office after being in a fight, which the principal deduced was because the youth had been teased for his unfashionable eyeglasses.
Rather than merely send the student back to class, Hooser said Bailey approached his fellow Rotarians, asking them for donations to buy the student a new pair of glasses.
“That’s the kind of guy he was,” Hooser said. “It wasn’t a lot of money. But Cliff took it upon himself to help this kid out.”
Selfless personality aside, Hooser said Bailey’s planning and communication skills made him an important part of Rotary events.
“If you were going to build a team, you wanted Cliff Bailey on that team,” Hooser said.
And according to Peter Robson, president of Kapa’a Rotary from 1999 to 2000, Bailey managed to involve himself in many group projects and events, despite his work-intensive job and family life.
“He had amazing ability to bring people together to resolve difficult and complex issues,” Robson said. “Whatever you were doing, he made you feel like you were making an important contribution.”
One of Bailey’s biggest accomplishments, say several fellow Rotarians, was as chairman of the planning committee for last year’s Taste of Hawai’i fund-raiser.
The annual event, which featured more than 50 chefs from across the state, was so well-organized and planned, said current club president Nelson Secretario, that all 2,500 seats were sold out in advance for the first time ever.
“It was amazing,” Secretario said. ” We had to turn people away at the door.”
“To do that requires an enormous amount of coordination,” Robson said. “He had a definite ability to put his ego in check to accomplish anything. This guy was an all-around good guy.”
Working with both children and adults — often at the same time — made Bailey an “exceptional” addition to the Kaua’i community, said Rotary member Marty Kahn.
Bailey took the group’s motto, “Service above self,” and applied it to all aspects of his life. Whether it was at work, home or play, his friend always remained encouraging and never demeaning, Kahn said.
“He always dignified someone’s value and worth,” Kahn said. “He was a man who saw possibilities and saw it through. He was exceptional.”
Apart from his professional identity, Pam Brown said Bailey’s subtle personality made him a warm person to be around.
“He had the funniest sense of humor, but was normally really quiet,” she said. “Sometimes he’d just mutter the funniest things under his breath.”
Even as a neighbor or family friend, Brown said, Bailey proved to be a leader and role model.
“We all felt that we were learning from him in everything he did,” she said. “It ultimately came out that if you had a problem — or didn’t know what to do — just call Cliff.”
As a tribute to Bailey’s far-reaching friendship, many of his friends are helping coordinate a memorial service tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church in Kapa’a. Brown said a large number of Kapa’a Rotary members will help put up the tents to house the 500 to 700 people expected to attend.
A second service will be held on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Punahou School Chapel in Honolulu.
“We all thought of Cliff as a friend or brother,” Brown said. “And in this time of grief, we’re doing everything possible to help his family with whatever they need.”
Looking back at Bailey’s accomplishments, Brown said she thought he would want to be remembered for his close relationships with the children he supervised every day for the last 20 years.
“He was just so good with the kids,” she said. “They saw him as accessible.
“He was a different breed.”
Staff writer Matt Smylie can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 226) and mailto:msmylie@pulitzer.net
