Vigil for Melissa Jubane meant to ‘spread joy, love, light’

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — About 200 people showed up for a vigil for Melissa Jubane, the Providence St. Vincent nurse who was killed last week , a vigil put together by the Oregon Nurses Association .

All who spoke with KOIN 6 News at the 2-hour vigil at Ridgewood View Park described her as a kind, loving person who lit up every room she entered. Friends and colleagues shared stories of how she would bring food for her co-workers and had endless words of encouragement during an extremely difficult job.

“We could count on her for anything and everything that you could possibly need. If you had a question, she had an answer,” said Kathy Keane with the ONA. “If she didn’t have an answer, she knew who to find, who to ask, to find out the answer for you. Always willing to help, jump in headfirst no matter what was going on.”

Colleagues said this vigil would have moved Melissa Jubane.

“She would just kind of probably say, ‘Oh my gosh, guys, she didn’t need to do all of this,” Keane said. “I think she would want us to take it and spread the same joy and love and light that she did to everybody else that we can.”

On Sunday, the University of Portland — where she graduated from the nursing program in 2018 — held a remembrance Mass on campus.

Jubane, 32, was recently married in Hawaii to an active duty member of the US Navy who is stationed in Washington state. Her remains were found days after co-workers reported her missing to the Beaverton police when she didn’t show up for her early morning shift.

A neighbor, Bryce Johnathan Schubert, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Through his lawyer, the 27-year-old entered a not guilty plea in his first court appearance in Washington County.

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.

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