Tribute paid to family
Family members and friends of Iris Ross and her two children, who were killed on Christmas Day, want them to be remembered for the goodness they brought into the lives of others.
Every Sunday, Iris Ross, 38, found her sanctuary along a quiet stretch of the Salt River, where the water flows into the Valley past patches of reeds and sandstone-rock formations.
The mother and her two children, 11year-old Nigel and 10-month-old Anora, would hike and play along the river’s tranquil banks.
Friends and family members said this spot in the desert — nestled in the Phon D Sutton Recreation Area in the Tonto National Forest — is where Ross found refuge from the challenges of her life. It’s where she practiced her love for all living things.
Dozens of people gathered in that space Saturday afternoon to celebrate the lives of Iris, Nigel and Anora Ross, who were killed on Christmas Day. The people remembered the son with a smile like his mother’s and the infant who was just two months from celebrating her first birthday. They remembered the mother who would wait by the river, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wild Salt River horses.
Family members said they don’t want their loved ones to be remembered for the tragedy that ended their lives. Instead, they said, their deaths should pull people together in kindness.
Mary Wojas, Ross’ younger sister, said she should be remembered for the way she lived — as a “strong and compassionate, loving woman with faith in the greater good.”
Wojas said Nigel was an intelligent, kind boy known for befriending classmates who were bullied or excluded. Anora was a loving presence with “sparkling brown eyes,” she said.
“On Christmas, a man took them from us,” Wojas said. “What we can take is our love from them and infuse the light of their beings into our thoughts, our deeds and our love for each other.”
Ross’ friends and family said the memorial was meant to be a celebration of the effect she had on so many lives.
Ross’ brother, Will Smith, described how his sister cared about treating everyone equally. “She was someone with a spirit that everyone could just sense was really good,” Smith said.
Midway through the tribute, a herd of wild horses ran and drank water along the riverbank.