Marcia Ann Cabebe Paranada
Lucy Peros | Photos courtesy Cabebe Paranada ‘Ohana
We know working out and being physically fit is good for us. It makes us stronger, relieves stress, and heals our body. This month’s featured Sakada Offspring, Marcia Ann Cabebe Paranada is a professional in the fitness field.
Marcia was born in July 1956 in Wailuku, Maui, Territory of Hawai‘i to Rafael Cantorna Cabebe and Agrifina Terredanio Cabebe. She grew up in the 2nd Increment of “Dream City” until she was twelve years old, when the family moved to the 9th increment. She attended Christ the King School from K–8th grade and graduated from St. Anthony Junior-Senior High School in 1974.
During her high school years, Marcia worked at Maui Land & Pineapple Company for three summers. Other jobs included Dairy Queen, the Maui County Fair with E.K. Fernandez, and Maui County Finance Dept. under their CETA program.
In 1977, Marcia randomly got hired as an Advertising Layout Artist for JCPenney in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. That was the beginning of her thirty-year career in the advertising/newspaper business, first as a Typesetter, then as a graphic artist, as computers started to become the norm. She worked as a Typesetter for many different businesses: Waikiki Beach Press/Hawai‘i Press Newspaper in Honolulu; Blackstone Valley Tribune in Whitinsville, Massachusetts and Worcester, Massachusetts; and Maui Publishing Co., then publisher of The Maui News, where she took an early retirement after seventeen years there.
Marcia has one daughter Lianne, from a previous marriage who lives in Massachusetts, and one grandson Daven, who resides in Raleigh, North Carolina and has just completed his first year of college at Appalachian State University.
Marcia has been a Certified Group Fitness Instructor since 1999 and has taught at the Maui Family YMCA for nine years and at Keoni’s Hot Lava Dance Studio for five years. To date, she has taught aerobics, step aerobics, circuit training, R.I.P.P.E.D and all different formats of Zumba. In 2012, she became a certified Silver and Fit Instructor and in 2013, she became an Enhance® Fitness Instructor. In 2014, she completed her training to be a Master Trainer for Enhance® Fitness, an evidence-based exercise program for seniors. Until COVID-19 hit, she taught Enhanced Fitness at Maui Powerhouse Gym in Kīhei three times a week. She is now a substitute for Enhance Fitness, and still teaches a senior fitness class called “Young at Heart” twice a week at Maui Powerhouse Gym.
From 2014–2019, she volunteered her exercise expertise once a month to Kaunoa Senior Services Congregate Lunch Program at four different sites: Waikapū Community Center, Hale Mahaolu (Akahi), Kahului Union Church and Wailuku Community Center. “I love working with seniors! I like the fact that they are taking care of themselves in their golden years to remain active as long as they can,” says Marcia. In 2014, she received an award from Mayor Alan Arakawa and Cathy Berry, co-owner of Maui Powerhouse Gym for “Making A Difference” in the health and well being of the senior community on Maui.
From 2016–2020 under the direction of Keoni Manuel, Marcia learned to dance the hula and performed at many different venues on Maui. They also worked on the Holland America Cruise Lines traveling to San Diego, California, Vancouver, Canada, Fiji and Samoa, Ensenada, Mexico, as well as the Hawaiian Islands, being Hawaiian ambassadors on the ship, teaching Hawaiian arts and crafts, hula, ukulele, and performing nightly shows.
Marcia has been married for thirty-three years to Mark A. Paranada, a retired Fire Rescue Captain from the Maui Fire Department, where he served for 33 years. He attended Kahului School and graduated from H.P. Baldwin High School in 1969. Mark and Marcia have both served (separately) as Chairperson of the Miss Maui Filipina Scholarship Pageant and Mark for the Miss Hawai‘i Filipina Scholarship Pageant. Together they enjoy traveling, attending music and dance concerts of all different genres, and the performing arts. Marcia also enjoys getting together with her friends to do some light hiking.
Marcia’s brother Raymond is married to Debbie Cabebe, and they have three children: Julie, Courtney and Grant. Raymond and Debbie have five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Raymond is retired from Chris Hart & Partners, a Land Planning and Landscape Architectural firm, although he still does consulting work for them. His wife Debbie is the CEO of Maui Economic Opportunity.
Marcia’s father, the late Rafael Cantorna Cabebe was born on October 20, 1908, in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines to Servando and Raymonda Cabebe. He had two brothers, Segundo and Nemesio, a tailor who owned Cabebe Tailor Shop in old Wailuku Town.
Rafael Cabebe immigrated to Hawai‘i in 1926 to work as a farm laborer. He initially lived in Ewa on O‘ahu and later moved to Kaua‘i, finally settling in Wailuku, Maui. During World War II, he was a sergeant in the Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion of the Maui Volunteers. The 1950 census listed his occupation as a photographer with his own photography shop. His family remembers him having a “dark room” in the kitchen, so he could process his own film. There are many black and white photos he took of the family, and he even hand-colored some photos to make them appear in color.
Rafael briefly hosted a Filipino music show on KMVI radio. He later worked for Aloha Airlines where he retired from after contracting Parkinson’s disease.
Rafael was married to the late Mary Tavares (Maria Tabales) and they had four children together: Stanley, James, Loretta and Pearl. After a divorce in 1945, and he had custody of the children, he met Agrifina (“Aggie”) Terredanio who was working at the Oriental Benevolent Association. They married on August 3, 1948 and had two more children: Ralph Raymond, born in 1952 and Marcia Ann. They lived on Lower Main Street in Wailuku until 1952 when they bought their home on Lono Avenue, in Kahului.
Rafael was president of the Maui Filipino Community Council from 1960 to 1961 and belonged to the Lion’s Club International. He and Aggie also belonged to the Polo Dance Club, where they enjoyed teaching ballroom dance to friends, some of which included Mr. and Mrs. Leo Polo, Mr. and Mrs. Manuela “Boy” Rodrigues, Mr. and Mrs. Claro Capili Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Richard Caldito Sr., Mr. and Mrs. George Guerrero and more. They were also involved with the Filipino Catholic Club. Like many of his contemporaries, Rafael grew his own vegetables and loved to cook. He also maintained an extensive orchid nursery at his home on Lono Avenue and belonged to an orchid club.
Marcia’s mother, Agrifina Terredanio was born on June 23, 1928 in Paia, Maui, Territory of Hawai‘i to the late Damaso and Marcelina Alvaro Terredanio. She grew up in Haliimaile, Maui with four siblings: brothers John and Francisco, and sisters, Felicita and Juanita. After her parents succumbed to tuberculosis, they were raised by the Palos family in Haliimaile.
After learning all she could about the Filipino dances and cultures, traveling to Honolulu weekly to learn from her teacher Aurelia Viernes, Aggie practiced teaching all six children and their friends how to dance. “Dancing with mom was not an option, it was a requirement,” says Marcia. “We danced all over the island for many events for many years. The bonus was that we even got paid for some of our performances!” After all her children moved on, she was asked by many clubs, organizations and schools to teach them Filipino dance. Students of hers would come up to her many years later and say “I learned Filipino dance from you.” She taught so many, that she could not remember them all.
Aggie, together with the late Nancy Andres and Pauline Agres were, for many years, the backbone of the Miss Maui Filipina Scholarship Pageant, which is still held today.
Atty. Alfredo Evangelista and his wife, Bessy have been continuing her legacy, as are the Maria Lanakila Church members that includes Elizabeth Whitehead, Nora Cabanilla-Takushi and Elsie Saribay. The Cabebe family is forever grateful.
A reflection from Marcia and Raymond: “Through their actions, Mom and Dad showed us the importance of being involved in the community and volunteerism that we have passed on to our children.”
Lucy Peros is a retired schoolteacher, having taught at St. Anthony Grade School and Waihe‘e Elementary School. Both of her late parents, Elpidio Cachero Cabalo (a 1946 Sakada) and Alejandra Cabudoy Cabalo of Haliimaile worked for Maui Land and Pine Company. Lucy now enjoys retirement and has time to join other seniors in the Enhance Fitness Program under the Department of Aging three times a week. She also attends the line dancing class and other activities at Kaunoa and joins other Waihe‘e School retirees when help is needed at the school. Lucy also devotes some of her time to activities at Christ The King Catholic Church. She enjoys writing and reading in her spare time.