Bambi Lynn Braden

Bambi Lynn Braden, 68 (who only ever admitted to being 28), passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. Born in Jacksonville, FL to Paul and Virginia Braden, she was named after famed Broadway actress, choreographer, and ballerina Bambi Linn. After graduating from Lee High School in 1973 she continued to hone her command of the art of dance. Of particular influence were local "giants" Dulce Anaya and Mark Spivak. Perhaps most impactful was Dorothy Warren Willard, whom she was a student of from a very young age and who seemed to groom her to take the reins as friend, instructor, and business owner.

Around 1978 the sign at 1951 Stimson St would read: Bambi Philips School of Dance. In the decades that followed, Bambi would give birth, in seemingly Abrahamic proportions, to countless dancers that would go on to perform at all levels - from family living rooms to Broadway stages and pop music videos all across the US and overseas. And whether any one of them became recognized dancers, all were recognized as friends and beloved students who would go on to share a bond forged over years of memories twirling in the love of dance.

Bambi's reach into the community included her foundation, Hands and Hearts for the Performing Arts, Inc., whose mission is to help provide financial support to children and youth who are passionate about the performing arts, the opportunity to train with professionals, and to participate in performing arts productions.

She was also a founding member of the Jacksonville Community Nutcracker (1992), an organization that, in the past 28 years, has donated a total of $750,000 to local charities, presented the arts to over 60,000 school students, and provided over 5,000 dancers access to the stage.

Bambi also very much enjoyed travel. She cherished the experiences of her own travels and relished in the joy that others found in their own journeys. And if you were impressed at how she could point out crooked feet on a stage, you would have been blown away at her knack for finding sharks' teeth while strolling the beach.

Bambi: wife, mother, and friend

Bambi was preceded in death by Edward Paul Braden "Daddy," her mother Virginia, and her sister Paulette Humphrey (Bill).

She is survived by her husband, Charlie Stoops, dog JoJo, and her two sons, Christopher Philips (Erin) and Jonathan Philips (Niki), who together brought her eight grandchildren: Michaela (Jon), Kylie, Owen, London, Campbell, Davis, Clare, and Peyton; and two great-grandsons Sebastian and Ambrose.

She is also survived by her siblings Candy Lumpkin, Steve Braden (Carol), and Lori Jill Frier, as well as many nieces and nephews. Her husband, Charlie, has a daughter, Eva, and a son, Mitchell.

And though she will be deeply missed by many family members, friends, and proteges, the spirited community that she tapped into and jazzed up will proudly carry on a legacy left truly on pointe!

Bambi's family is grateful for the week-long Final Curtain Call in which so many came to applaud her great performance. A special thanks is in order to the remarkable and talented crews at Baptist Medical Center and Community Hospice (The Alice and T. O'Neal Douglas Center for Caring).

A Celebration of Life will be held in her honor on April 20th from 2:00-4:00 pm at Players By The Sea located at 106 N 6th St, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250

In lieu of flowers, kindly make donations to the Bambi Lynn Braden Scholarship Fund, made possible through Hands and Hearts for Performing Arts, Inc.

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