FAMILY and friends of beloved hairdresser Kelly Ross are this week trying to come to terms with her death just three months after she was diagnosed with cancer.

Mrs Ross, 32, died at home in Proudman Road, Devizes, on Saturday surrounded by her family.

Her parents Alan and Helen Rake paid tribute to their beautiful daughter who adored her two young children and loved her job at Kadiem hairdressers in Maryport Street, Devizes.

Mrs Rake said: “Kelly always wanted to be a hairdresser – she loved playing with hair from when she was very young. She was such a happy and positive person.

“Just a couple of weeks ago she was talking about Christmas and how she was looking forward to us all being together.”

Mr Rake said: “She was a wonderful daughter. She was very kind and always wanted to do things for other people.”

Last July she was thrilled when she gave birth to her son Jack, a brother for little Ruby who is now three.

But towards the end of her pregnancy she started to suffer pains at the top of her leg which were initially put down to sciatica.

After Jack’s birth the pains continued and she started to lose weight.

Mrs Rake said: “To begin with she was glad she was losing a few pounds and thought it was just the baby weight coming off but then the pain got worse and we started to worry.” 

In April a scan showed that she had rectal cancer and she started a course of chemotherapy.

Her family started fundraising for Kelly and her children and last month held a huge auction at The Crown pub in New Park Street.

Her sister and fellow hairdresser Dawn Walker, 45, said: “Everyone was so generous. It was incredible. Kelly was in hospital but she was so pleased.”

Her family want her funeral, at the Corn Exchange on Saturday, July 18, at 10.30am, to be a celebration of her life and are asking people to wear bright colours and bring flowers or wear buttonholes.

Her father said: “Kelly loved flowers. We want to decorate the stage and it would be lovely if people could bring a few from their gardens in jam jars.”