Victoria Katherine Schiro

If there is one thing to know about Victoria, it’s that she could find joy anywhere, partly due to her own inherent goodness and partly because she would want the people around her to be joyful. Born in Sanford, North Carolina, she grew up laughing easily, finding wonder in the world around her, and teasing or playing practical jokes, especially toward her older brother Dominic. She enjoyed the spooky things of the world as well; Her love (and much to her joy, her brother's hatred) of scary dolls, and her spot on demon impressions always made the people around her laugh.

As one of the most energetic people you could meet, Victoria seemed to run on silliness and imagination. In addition to coming up with some of the most oddly brilliant practical jokes, she found fun in anything. Any situation could turn into a game, and obviously she was the one to come up with the rules. Some would be ones we’ve heard before, like tag or hide and seek, though some varied the familiar rules until the game was an unrecognizable creation of her own beautiful making.

While she enjoyed organizing and making games, her main goal was for people to be included. If someone in the room was not having fun, or felt left out, she was on them like glue until she got them participating in the activity and having a good time. That was the point, really: she wasn’t having fun unless everyone was having fun.

Some of her biggest joys in life – besides making others laugh – were animals and nature. She had a close bond with her parents, Jared and Trish, and her brother Dominic, and after moving to Penrose, Colorado, they could often be found out in the wilderness looking for crystals, trail riding, or observing the world around with a wonder that one can only hope to have. That appreciation also influenced her love of animals, both real and mythical. Unicorns absolutely captured her imagination, and she loved learning about them through any books and TV shows she could get her hands on.

As she grew and her interest in animals grew, she went from the mythical to the natural world around her. She was gifted with a kind of calm energy that made most animals around seek her out; skittish horses would be gentle, big dogs would snuggle, and wild animals would let her get closer than most would ever be able to. Wolves really enchanted her, and she enchanted them right back. On a recent visit to Mission:Wolf – a local wolf and horse sanctuary in Westcliffe, Colorado – pictures show wolves just as big as she was coming up and treating her like one of their own. Her favorite wolf at the sanctuary is Rosie, also known as Rosie Valkyrie, and Rosie would always stick with Victoria during her many visits. She found that wolves were her spirit animal, and she would bring their energy to her daily life. Victoria regularly dressed as a wolf with her signature fuzzy ear hat and loved to growl, bark, and howl while she played.

She inherited a love of horses from her mom, Trish. Her gentleness and intuitive nature shined out with her horses. Whether out in the paddock on her horse Velvet, trail riding through the Colorado wilderness, or learning with her trainer Roxie and her lesson horse of choice Rainy, she could find comfort and happiness with the warm presence of a horse underneath her.

Tragically, Rainy passed away earlier this week as well due to an unrelated incident. Because of this, Rainy’s ashes will be scattered with Victoria’s at a private ceremony after the visitation.

In all of this, Victoria would want the people reading this to feel better. She wants – because she will always want this – you to laugh, to think of joyful things, and to be gentle with yourself. So take what you knew about her, or what you have learned now, and approach the world with an ounce more of kindness. Choose the sillier option. Be curious about the world around you. Accept that you may not understand everything. And be nice to animals. We may not all have the affinity for the natural world that Victoria did, but we could all stand to pet a few more dogs.

Victoria has many people and animals who she loves and who love her:

Her parents, Jared and Trish Schiro; her brother, Dominic Schiro; two giant dogs, Zula and Snoopy; four horses, Aspen, Latte, Buck, and Black Velvet; three cats, Mr. Snuggles, Mittens, and Mr. Durden; and a corn snake, Crusher.

On her dad’s side: Her grandparents, Kathy Brouns Schiro Harvey and Barney Harvey; her grandpa, Lee Schiro; her aunt and uncle, Ali and Cody Burton, and her cousins Katie, Olivia, and Henry Burton; her uncle and aunt, Matt and Lindsey Schiro, and her cousins Mallory, Benson, and Charlie Schiro; her aunt, Maggie Harvey; and a vast network of extended family full of aunts, uncles, cousins, and animals.

On her mom’s side: Her grandparents, John and Jennifer Dube; her great-grandmother, Sylvia Jurkowski; her aunt and uncle, Caitlin and Jake Parker; her aunt and partner, Michelle Dube and Nick Post, and her cousins Cole and Aislynn; and countless great-aunts and uncles and their families.

Where she is going she has many family members and animals who are waiting for her:

Her great-grandparents, Dick and Nyla Brouns; her great-grandparents, Bernie and Pat Harvey; her great-grandparents, Leroy and Marjorie Schiro; her great-grandparents, Noel and Antoinette Dube; her great-grandpa, Richard Jurkowski; and her cousin, Charlotte Marie Parker, as well as many other beloved family members; two horses, Fancy and Moscato; her lesson horse, Rainy; three dogs, Bear, Nubby, and Moose; and a cat, Taco.

The Schiro family has received an incredible amount of support in the wake of these events. While there is a donation link to support the Schiro family directly, they also encourage donations to these institutions in support of causes that Victoria believed in:

Donate to Mission:Wolf

Sponsor a Wolf at Mission:Wolf

Learn more about Rosie Valkyrie, Victoria’s favorite wolf

Give Directly to the Schiro Family

Please see the clickable links below to make donations to any of the above mentioned causes.

A visitation for Victoria will be held Friday, June 20, 2025 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Dove Witt Family Mortuary, 6630 S. US HWY 85/87, Fountain, CO 80817.