The best friend of a woman whose death is the subject of a murder inquiry is calling on everybody to light up the sky in her memory at a balloon release this Sunday.
Steph Griffiths is devastated at the tragic loss of Ellia Arathoon, 29, whom she has known since high school days, describing their relationship as like ‘a tag team’.
Craig Andrew Procter, 39, of Shephard Close, Ellesmere Port, has been charged with the murder of Ellia, who lived in the town centre.
The celebration of Ellia’s life will take place at the end of Cromwell Road at 4pm this Sunday (November 13) when friends and family will gather by the floral tributes before walking down to the spot thought to be Ellia’s last resting place.
Ellia’s mum and dad Elaina and Lee will be present along with her sister Emma and eight-year-old son Reece.
Reece will release the first balloon carrying a letter he has written up to his mummy because he now thinks of her as an angel in heaven. Others may choose to light candles, place floating tealights on the canal or release biodegradable lanterns.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport has been informed.
Steph, who lives in Ellesmere Port, said: “What I really want to get across is how much she was loved. She lit up everybody’s lives and any room she walked into and that’s why I want to light up the sky for her one last time because that’s what she was like.”
Steph has precious memories of her dear friend, who was the ‘life and soul of everything’, like the time she, her cousins and Ellia dressed up as the Spice Girls to pose in promotional picture for the local fancy dress shop. There was a night out in Leeds when they ended up partying with the cast of Hollyoaks who were staying in the same hotel.
And she was alongside Ellia throughout her pregnancy including during labour when her friend came out with hilarious comments while on gas and air.
Explaining more about the balloon release idea, Steph said it was to ‘pay our respects’ and bring everyone together but above all to celebrate Ellia's life and support her family.
“I’m doing it for Ellia’s family, just something for them to focus on and I know that they know she was a popular girl. But I don’t think they realise how popular she was. So I think this is something nice for them to see and think ‘she was really, really loved’.”
Steph, who is currently recovering from a broken leg in a quad bike accident, said Ellia, a former Whitby High School pupil, was a funny and genuine person, whose feelings were always close to the surface.
“You would be in a room with Ellia and you would have every emotion. She would bring every emotion out. You would laugh, you would cry, you would be insulted. But how I would describe her is fiercely loyal, an extremely loyal person and once you were her friend, you were her friend for life.”
Steph, who worked at New Look in the town centre for many years, recalled Ellia’s selfless nature including regularly bringing her small gifts, like a pair of earrings, when they met up at the end of the day.
“There were no airs and graces with Ellia. What you saw was what you got. If she was happy, you knew she was happy. If she was sad, you knew she was sad,” added Steph.
“She was the purest form of a person, I would choose to describe her. There was no filter. She never made out she was better than anybody else and she was just really, really generous.”
Talking about the tragic circumstances of her death, she added: “If anybody had a zest for life and wanted to be on this earth more than anyone, it was her. That’s why it’s ‘not her of all people’! It’s such a shame. Things like this don’t happen on your doorstep.”
Steph pinned up a tribute and a picture of the Ellia that is most reminiscent of her special friend at the site of the floral tributes.
“She was beautiful and that’s how everyone described her,” said Steph, a make-up artist, who said it took just five minutes to do her pal’s make-up because she was naturally ‘so pretty’.
She said Ellia’s mum and dad had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the love of people in the community who had come together at this sad time.
Their daughter’s friends are also organising a fundraising night at the Sir Robert pub, Overpool Road, Ellesmere Port, on Saturday, November 19, with all proceeds to be donated to a charity of their choice.
