Strength found on MH17 anniversary

Debris has been cleared and the dust has settled at the eastern Ukraine field where Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 met its ill fate, but for victims' families such as those of Albany couple Arjen and Yvonne Ryder, July 17 will forever mark a day of remembrance.

Family members of Arjen, a respected Department of Agriculture and Food employee and church deacon, and Yvonne, a teacher's aide, who were among the 298 passengers on board the plane when it was shot down over Ukraine last year, will attend a memorial service held by the Australian Government marking the first anniversary of the tragedy in Canberra tomorrow.

The couple's 28-year-old son Drew this week reflected on the call he received notifying him his parents were on the plane.

"It was disbelief," he said.

"I was wondering how a plane so high could be shot down.

"That was my first thought."

Drew, one of Arjen and Yvonne's three children, who became the point of contact for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as the Australian Federal Police, said it was months before the death of his parents struck home.

"In the first part, there was lots going on and heaps of things to organise and then reality sunk in after that, which was a bit tough," he said.

On September 11 last year, Arjen and Yvonne's bodies were among those of nine Australians returned to home soil.

"It was probably then when it started to really sink in, because we had them home and got to bury them," Drew said.

"It hits home then, when you do that.

"It really sunk in."

However, Drew said it was his strong Christian faith, ties with his church community and his family which gave him his strength.

Arjen's sister Rachel Rodriguez said her year had been a "roller coaster ride" and her wedding day in January was marked by a bittersweet feeling, with the joy of being surrounded by family, but not her big brother.

"In the beginning, you're just dealing with the shock of what happened, you're trying to sort things out, trying to get my brother and his family over here, organising the memorial service," she said.

"There's just so much going on, so you're just taken up with all that and you feel really busy.

"But for me, (the grieving) was from the beginning, because I was with my niece and her husband when we found out, so we had time together to start dealing with it."

Remarkably, the family sees a silver lining in Arjen and Yvonne's deaths, such as the scholarship set up by the family, the DAFWA and the University of Western Australia in honour of Arjen's career.

Mrs Rodriguez said it was comforting to know how loved Arjen and Yvonne were by the Albany community.

"It's been amazing … that's what has helped us so much, that people haven't forgotten - they've been there throughout this whole year," she said.

"I think when you share grief … it helps you when other people understand where you're at.

"To us, they were just an Albany couple, they worked hard, they lived here most of their lives.

"They were grandparents and parents, but after you see how they were with their openness with others, and their sharing of their lives and great generosity to others - that's such a powerful thing.

"You don't have to be a celebrity, or famous, but when people live in that way of sharing love and care with others, then it really impacts their family and it really impacts the community.

"So I think that's a huge positive for me and for many, and a great encouragement to see that we can just live life and it can be really powerful and I think because we have a strong faith, we believe they are in a better place now and we are comforted by that.

"We know they are happy and we will see them again."