Tina MacNaughton

TINA JOY MACNAUGHTON

Cedar Rapids

Tina Joy (McDonough) MacNaughton, 44, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Nov. 9, 2017, after a well-fought battle with breast cancer. Heaven has gained a beautiful soul.

Tina was born Feb. 27, 1973. and took the world by storm. She was a dancer, actress and singer, starting her stage career in grade school, doing community theater shows and workshops. She performed in pompom squad, choir, swing choir and drama at Kennedy High School. She continued to dance at ISU and was a teacher of many little dancers, too.

Tina graduated from Iowa State University in 1998 and enjoyed a successful career in construction estimating. She started out at ACI in Ames, moved to Regency Homes in Des Moines and, in 2008, moved back to Cedar Rapids to work at Sign Productions. She found her true work home in 2012 as a lighting specialist at Van Meter Electric. Tina was a born leader, headstrong and unstoppable. She loved her job and it showed.

Tina began her volunteer work with Pony Express during her years in the Des Moines area, helping raise funds for Camp Courageous of Iowa so disabled kids could go to camp. She also volunteered at animal shelters around Ames. In 2010, she became an active member of Critter Crusaders, a nonprofit group in Cedar Rapids that provides medical care for homeless animals. Tina fostered 29 special-needs dogs in seven years, finding them forever homes when they were well enough to leave her care. She organized fundraisers, donated countless hours, performed multiple transports for thousands of homeless dogs, and loved every animal she encountered. Tina had a huge heart. Caring for those in need, be it four-legged or two, is her legacy.

Tina started dating and fell deeply in love with Jeff Lorimer in 2011. They had so much in common and needed each other. He was her soulmate. She became a great mom and friend to his children, Dallas, Steven and Tori, loving them as her own. They made a family and together formed an unstoppable team. In 2016, Jeff proposed, Tina accepted, knowing in her heart that she was where she was supposed to be.

In July 2014, Tina was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had courage and strength like no other, fighting the whole way, never feeling sorry for herself, never giving up, and always putting others' needs ahead of her own. She told us all at the very beginning, "Don't feel sorry for me. Be strong for me." She was an inspiration to us all.

Tina was a doting aunt to two beautiful girls, a loving daughter and sister, a gracious soulmate, a caring mom to those who needed her, and the most amazing friend you could ever ask for. She will be greatly missed.

She was preceded in death by her father, Tim McDonough, and uncle, Sean McDonough, of Cedar Rapids; and grandparents, Slim and Genny Vogel of Waverly and Bill and Sandy McDonough of Faribault, Minn.

Surviving are her fiance, Jeff Lorimer; his children, Dallas, Steven and Tori of Cedar Rapids; her mother, Rebecca (Ron) Schott of Tipton; brother, TJ (Hillary) McDonough; nieces, Finley and Aurora of Gladstone, Ore.; and countless friends and furbabies.

A Celebration of Life Open House will be held at St. Ludmila Church, 211 21st Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. Please come share your story of this wonderful woman.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to an animal rescue in Tina's memory.