Iris Isabella "Goose" Perez, age 8, of Marion, Indiana, completed her journey in this life and found peace on November 18, 2025, at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia after a courageous battle with leukemia. Born on November 16, 2017, Iris brought color, imagination, and joy into every space she entered.
Iris was a vibrant, creative, and curious child who loved Disney princesses, especially collecting her many princess nightgowns. She had a passion for art and design, painting, drawing, and creating things that reflected the beautiful way she saw the world. She dreamed big, imagining a future as a fashion designer, a traveler to far-off places like Japan, and someday a mother. Throughout her life, Iris inspired others with her spirit, humor, and unmistakable spark.
Her greatest joy was her family. She adored her parents, Jeremy and Kate Perez, and shared an unbreakable bond with her best friend and big sister, Evelyn, with whom she wanted to spend every moment. Their laughter, late-night giggles, whispered secrets, and deep love were a constant source of happiness and strength for Iris. She has preceded her loving grandparents: Jose and Amy Perez, John and Jacque Sickert, along with her great aunt and uncle, Elizabeth (Chris) Dodson, Tracy (Chris) Lombardo, uncles Jonathan (Katie) Perez, Nick (Jenny) Sickert, and cousins Tyler, Trevor, Lizzie, Lainey, Eliana, Lincoln, Harrison, Gabriel and Elsie, who all cherished her deeply.
Iris loved unicorns, magical creatures that represented the hope, bravery, and wonder she carried in her heart. She approached life the same way she approached her art, with courage, curiosity, and a desire to bring light into the world. Those who knew her will forever carry the colors she painted across their lives.
The family will hold a private service to celebrate Iris together.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, in honor of her memory, donations in Iris’s name may be made to Riley’s Children Hospital of Indianapolis, 500 N. Meridian St. #100, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, whose incredible research, doctors, and staff were instrumental in Iris’s care.
As the family moves forward, they will continue to live every day in her honor, for Iris, doing the things she dreamed of, seeing the places she hoped to see, and carrying her love, creativity, and magic with them always.
Arrangements are entrusted to Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral & Cremation Service, North Chapel, 1341 N. Baldwin Ave., Marion, IN.
Memories may be shared online at www.nswcares.com.
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