The January 8th Memorial
Christina-Taylor Green - Victim
Symbols by artist Rebeca Méndez
Bobcat
Her father's nickname for her
Christina-Taylor’s dad John lovingly gave her the nickname Bobcat. Bobcats in Arizona are equally at home from the lowlands of the Sonoran Desert to the pine and fir covered mountains of higher elevations. They symbolize intellect, patience, playfulness, awareness, cunningness, and strategy.
Angel
Freedom / Angel of steadfast love
“The Freedom Angel of Steadfast Love” by sculptor Lei Hennessy-Owen stands in James Kreigh Park in Oro Valley, about five miles from the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial River Park. The sculpture is made from fragments of the World Trade Center and other sites of the attack on September 11, 2001, the exact day Christina-Taylor was born. People in Tucson started calling Christina-Taylor the Angel of Tucson. Her mother Roxanna calls her “my angel in the wind.”
World and Book
Student council member / Curious and wise
An A-student, Christina-Taylor showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age. She’d remind her mother, “We are so blessed. We have the best life. And she’d pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate,” President Obama recounted at the memorial on January 12, 2011.
Butterfly
Her last drawing
The last drawing Christina-Taylor made at a school art class was of a butterfly. “Butterflies are happy, free and colorful, and she was always fascinated by them,” her mother Roxanna said. “When I see a butterfly, no matter where I am, it’s a sign. I always feel like it’s her coming to visit me.” At the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial River Park a rest stop for monarch butterflies has been installed for the endangered migrating species to refuel and reproduce as they traverse the Sonoran Desert.
Fearless / Full Of Energy
Her last drawing
“Christina-Taylor was a wonderful child,” said her teacher, Kathie DeKnikker. “She had not only the energy and enthusiasm of a typical third-grader but also maturity and insight that most children don’t attain until much later.” She was brimming with excitement over her recent election to her Student Council, a step she took partially inspired by President Obama.
Ballet
Passionate dancer / Ballet lover
Christina-Taylor was a passionate dancer who loved ballet, hip-hop, jazz and gymnastics.
Baseball
Wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues
The only girl on her Canyon del Oro Little League baseball team “The Pirates.” Christina-Taylor played second base and wanted to be the first woman to play in the Major Leagues. She came from a family of baseball players. Her grandfather, former major-league pitcher Dallas Green, was team manager for the Philadelphia Phillies when they won the World Series in 1980. Her father, John Green, is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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