Iris Jones

Mar 8, 1999 -

Aug 19, 2020

Iris Catherine Jones, age 21, died on Aug. 19, 2020, in Anchorage, Alaska, by suicide. A 2017 graduate of the IDEA home school program, Iris was a student at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich., where next May she would have graduated with honors in history and English writing.

Among Iris' countless gifts were a keen mind, a rich sense of humor and a tender heart. She co-captained the IDEA Academic Decathlon team to statewide victory in 2016. In 2017, Iris had the highest individual score in Alaska and won subject area medals in the National Acadeca championship in Wisconsin. A National Merit Finalist, Iris was also recognized as a UA Scholar. As a pre-teen, Iris taught herself to play the piano and wrote three consecutive "NaNoWriMo" novels. Her many interests included ballet, twirling fire batons, swimming, playing bass guitar in a praise band, performing improvisational comedy, and deepening her love of the Korean language and culture through K-pop and Korean television dramas.

Despite her gifts, Iris was eventually overcome by the brokenness in this world, which for her included attention deficit disorder and bipolar disorder. The pain in her own heart, perhaps, made Iris more aware of the struggles of people around her and fed her longing to help. Her friends know her capacity for loving people non-judgmentally.

With her church youth group, she served meals and wrapped Christmas presents at the Brother Francis Shelter. She was a regular volunteer at the Alaska Food Bank's Mobile Food Pantry and spoke at its 10th Anniversary Celebration in 2016. At college, Iris tutored adult ESL students, and she served in leadership positions in the Sexuality and Gender Awareness LGBT+ support group.

Iris is survived by her parents, Margo and Luke Jones; and brother, Neil Jones of Anchorage; grandmother, Mary Ann Whittier Johansen of California; and extended family in California, New Mexico, Illinois, and North Carolina. Iris moved to Anchorage with her family in 2012. Previously, she had lived in the California desert near Joshua Tree National Park; in Princeton, N.J.; and in Fort Collins, Colo., where she was born. Those places, and the world, is dimmer with the loss of her intense, bright light.

In our grief — "if only it could be measured and placed on the scales it would surely outweigh the sands of the seas!" — we find consolation alone in our hope of seeing her again in eternity, and in our confidence that in the presence of her Savior, Iris has at last found the peace that eluded her in this life.

A public viewing will take place at Jewel Lake Parish church in Anchorage on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Other funeral arrangements are pending due to COVID-19 considerations.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations of time to the Anchorage Suicide Prevention Coalition, or monetary donations to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — or to another charity you feel would honor her memory.

"Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

"The grey rain curtain turned all to silver-glass and was rolled back and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise." - J.R.R. Tolkien