Grieving husband pays tribute to 'beautiful' wife killed in Manchester bombing
A GRIEVING husband paid a heart-felt tribute to his "beautiful" wife Michelle Kiss who was killed in the Manchester bombing.
Speaking for the first time since her death Tony Kiss, 45, described how his wife had been on 'cloud nine' as she and daughter Millie had prepared to go to the concert.
Images of Millie being hugged by a police in the immediate aftermath of the bombing which claimed her mum's life featured in media around the globe.
Mr Kiss told how his wife, also 45, had taken Mille and pal Emily to the gig, then went for drinks with a friend while they waited to pick the girls up.
Mr Kiss, from the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, said: “The girls had a brilliant night full of laughter.
"They all went to Pizza Express for a meal before the concert.
“Michelle and Emily's mum Ruth dropped the girls at the Manchester Arena and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for mocktails.
“She was really happy and she just looked beautiful.
She was really happy and she just looked beautiful
"My last image of her as she left for the concert was that she was walking on cloud nine.
“She was so selfless. Even on her way to pick up the girls she was texting a friend to see if she needed help and giving money to homeless people.“
He later learned that his wife had been killed instantly in the attack, which also seriously injured their close family friends Ruth and Emily Murrell, who are still in hospital but are “on the mend”.
Millie miraculously escaped physical injury - a fact which Mr Kiss believes was due to her mother's protection.
He said: “All three of them are going to take years to process the horrors of what they saw that night.
“But I'm confident that, with the people here to support us, we will get through it.
“I want Ruth and Emily and all of their family to know that we're here for them as well.“
The heartbroken father, who was married to Mrs Kiss for over 20 years, first learned of the attack after his son Elliot woke him to tell him the news.
He said: “I'd gone to bed as I had to be up early for work and Elliot came in and panicked. He told me there'd been a bomb.
Masses of floral tributes left for Manchester attack victims
"Your first thoughts are, 'It's not going to be us. It's going to be all right. Just calm down'.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that it was us. I did numerous trips to Manchester that night trawling around hospitals.
“When I went to pick Millie up, she gave the police officer a big hug to say thanks for bringing me back to dad.
“That's when her picture was taken cuddling the police officer.
“I brought Millie back home and already the support had started.
“There were people who came round and it meant I could leave Millie, although I really didn't want to because she was in serious shock. But I had to go and look for Michelle.
“We went around all the hospitals and called the helplines and we were getting nowhere.
“But then the Family Liaison Officers got in touch and things started to happen - they have been brilliant.
"I really can't thank everyone enough, we've had so much help.”
Mrs Kiss met her husband at school and worked alongside him running their business TNT Scaffolding.
She was regularly seen walking around their home town of Whalley with her beloved pug dog Elvis.
Mrs Kiss is said to have “lived for her family” and spent much of her time taking her son Elliot, 17, to basketball matches, Dylan, 20, to football games and her daughter Millie to her acting, dance and drama classes and performances.
Her children Dylan, Elliot and Millie said: “Our mum was the most loving, kind, giving woman that everyone knows and loves.
“She was the most devoted mother to us all. She would always go the extra mile for us. She was our rock.“
Mrs Kiss was also a loving daughter to Mick and Christine Thompson and big sister to Nichola Leigh.
Her mum Christine said: “We will love and miss her for the rest of our lives which will never be the same without her.
“We are so proud of our beautiful loving and selfless daughter.
“Michelle was a loving mum to Dylan, Elliot and Millie and an excellent wife to Tony.
“I'm so happy for her that she was so happy with her life. She wanted to share it with everyone.”
Sister Nichola said: “Michelle is the best friend and sister anybody could ever ask for.
“Always caring and nonjudgmental, she saw the best in everyone. I am so proud of the person she was.
"She was an amazing mum to her three children and amazing wife to Tony. The perfect family.
“Her legacy will live on through her family and we will miss her terribly.”