Family pay tribute to Little Nana Iris who was the 'life and soul of the party'

Sunderland legend Iris Amos sadly died on Wednesday, April 1, surrounded by loved ones at the age of 92.

She was a straight-talking Facebook star who made people laugh around the world. But to her family she was also a ‘kind and gentle’ soul who loved helping people whenever she could.

Speaking to the Echo, her family release a touching message about Nana Iris. It said: “Iris was a kind and gentle person who just loved helping people when she could.

“She was very witty and funny and loved a good laugh – she was the life and soul of the party.

“Iris would spend a lot of her time visiting the shops in The Bridges with her zimmer frame but what she really loved was meeting people and having photographs taken with them and their children and generally having a good laugh.

“Iris over the years has became a public celebrity, not only around the town but also online worldwide – as far as Australia and America everyone just loved Little Nana Iris, she was everyone’s Nana.”

Born on April 29, 1927, in Penshaw Village, Iris married James Spencer, a submariner in the Royal Navy, who lost his life in a tragic accident aboard a submarine aged just 25 leaving his wife and their young daughter Valerie completely devastated.

The 92-year-old has six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild and loved her family dearly.

She was a hardworking lady and over the years took on many tiring jobs.

She worked on a farm in Boldon for many years and carried out what her family describe as ‘backbreaking work’ – like potato picking, shedding turnips and lots of other work around the farm.

Iris, who lived in East End before moving to the Garths, also worked at the Brian Mills factory for many years.

Her family say Iris enjoyed spending time at the arcade in Blandford Street, admitting she ‘liked a bit of a gamble’, and liked to see her friend Linda Carter who worked there.

“Not only did all her family love Little Nana Iris, she was loved by people worldwide, and she loved everyone all the world,” added the family.

Thousands of tributes have flooded in for the beloved great-great-grandmother who have thanked her for keeping them smiling and laughing with her many videos over the years.

A Facebook page was set up for Little Nana Iris back in 2018 by her family and it now has more than 175,000 followers.

In a moving video posted on the Facebook page, Little Nana Iris is filmed singing a beautiful rendition of Jim Reeves’ I Wont Forget You.

Her family are now trying to arrange Iris’s funeral and say, due to current restrictions because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis, they are hoping to live stream it for family and fans to watch.

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