Garret Tehero reflects on a beloved son Jordan

LIHUE — Garret Tehero was expecting a few hundred people at his son Jordan’s funeral.

So he was surprised when an estimated 2,000 people filed into the Kauai Veterans Center on July 12.

“It was a real special time of people coming to show their love and appreciation for what Jordan did in their life and what he was here on the island,” Tehero said.

People came from the Alaska, the mainland, other Hawaiian islands. Many, the Teheros didn’t even know. Some had never met Jordan Tehero, but they knew of him. They had been told about him. So they came. The line snaked outside the door and around the building. More and more and more chairs were brought in.

“My family and I wanted to send a message out there thanking the people of Kauai and whoever else came because it was unexpected for us to have that much people come to show their respect for Jordan and our family,” Garret said.

The response provided comfort to the family, “100 percent.”

“That was special to know that. They came because of what they heard about him,” he said.

The day, already emotional with so many tears, became ever more so.

“Simply because we didn’t know he touched so many people’s lives in different ways,” Garret said.

Jordan Daniel Kealoha Tehero was 23 years old when he died in a skydiving accident on Oahu on June 21. He was doing what he loved, his dad said.

He left behind his father, his mother Colleen Anama-Tehero and four siblings. And, as his dad learned, a legion of people who in one way or another were touched by Jordan.

“So much love was in the air during that service,” Garret Tehero said.

The best part was, he added, is that every one there “got to see who Jordan really was. If they didn’t know Jordan, they left knowing Jordan.”

Many have reached out to the Teheros since the crash that claimed their son’s life, along with 10 others. They have called, stopped at their Kalaheo home, visited Garret at his office, sent letters and notes and offered prayers.

“They were saying beautiful things like how much he was loved,” he said.

Garret, born and raised on Kauai, raised his family – four boys, one girl — here, too. Jordan was the youngest.

“He was the one that got picked on but then the brothers couldn’t pick on him anymore when he would say, ‘You want to pick on me? C’mon, let’s go skydiving.’ They couldn’t say nothing then, because they wouldn’t do it. He had the last laugh.”

Garret Tehero said his son was sharp and ambitious. He had a passion for whatever he did, whether it was skydiving, working on his truck, or serving at King’s Chapel in the music and children’s ministries.

“He loved serving,” his dad said.

Jordan was in the Army National Guard three years and he nearly died in a training accident.

He was so grateful to be alive after that, his father said, he sent a text message to his family: “Be thankful every day you wake up you never know when it’s your last! Do the things you always wanted to do, don’t let fear stop you from living your life to the fullest, and most of all give God the glory!”

The family put Jordan’s picture and that message on the program for his funeral service.

“It was a beautiful service,” Garret said. “It was a celebration, not a funeral, that’s for sure.

“We didn’t want it to be the traditional type service, if you will. We wanted it to be something special and unique because that’s what Jordan would want because he was that kind of person.”

Though Jordan loved life and was just 23, he did not fear death, his father said.

“He said, ‘I’m not afraid of dying. Heaven is a beautiful place.’ Those were his exact words,” Garret said.

It is their Christian faith that sustains the Teheros.

“We know that he’s in a good place, but it’s the missing of the person and the presence that’s making it hard for us because he was so young and so vibrant,” Garret said. “He brought life to our home.”

They miss having Jordan around the house, the way he did things, the way he took care of things, the way he shared his thoughts.

“We’ve come to the realization that Jordan was actually a teacher to our family and to many others,” Garret said. “We didn’t realize all the things he would tell us, at times, it was like, ‘Where did that come from?’ Now, we realize he was teaching us stuff because what he was saying is all true.

“He was so young, and sometimes, we should be teaching him but in reality, he was actually teaching us.”

Garret, who owns and operates Fire Safety Hawaii, LLC, traveled with Jordan to Honolulu the Tuesday before the skydiving accident, which happened three days later.

His son was skydiving throughout the week to complete more jumps as he worked toward his certification so he could be a videographer in the sky.

The Friday jump was to be his final one before they headed home.

“He wanted to do that sunset jump,” Garret said.

The family is holding up well, but some days, naturally, are harder than others.

“We’re getting stronger. I know it will take some time,” he said. “I know healing is something that takes time. It is a process, but it’s something we have to go through as a family.”

Even on the good days, it is difficult, Garret said.

“We’re praying and hoping it gets better. Daily, it seems like it’s getting better, then all of the sudden, we can get a moment,” he said, pausing, then adding, “We have our moments.”