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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
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Jarod “Tiny” Robert McVay
Jarod “Tiny” Robert McVay
Cedar Rapids
If there’s a burnout in heaven, you can bet Tiny is the one behind the wheel. With a wrench in one hand and probably wearing socks with his Crocs, Jarod “Tiny” McVay took his final ride on Jan. 25, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of grease, grit, and a whole lot of love.
Born on April 13, 1984, to Wanda (Bell) McVay and Dennis McVay, Jarod was the guy you called when your car was making that noise. He was everyone’s favorite mechanic, not just because he could fix anything, but because he did it with a laugh, a joke, and a heart bigger than his tool chest. If you ever had the pleasure of seeing him in his truck, wearing his signature hat and one Croc in sport mode, you knew—legend has it, that combo alone could make someone pregnant just by looking at them.
He had a deep love for many things: his family, his friends, his smoker (both the BBQ kind and, occasionally, the tire kind), and above all, his ability to make people laugh. His appreciation for inappropriate memes was unmatched—if it made you gasp and then laugh, he had probably already sent it to you.
Jarod is now reunited with his sister Shelly, his Mom and Dad, and his beloved dog Bruno. While the world seems a little less bright without him, we take comfort knowing that somewhere, he’s cracking jokes, firing up the smoker, and making sure everyone’s ride is running right.
He is survived by his sister Millie, his brother David, and countless extended family members—not to mention all of the friends who were as close as family. Tiny never knew a stranger, and if you were lucky enough to know him, you were family, too.
To say that all of us are brokenhearted is an understatement. I don’t think we realized just how brokenhearted you were too. We will love you forever.
Please join us in celebrating Jarod’s life on February 9th from 1 to 5 PM (and possibly longer for those who want to stay and reminisce) at the Fairfax Community Center. Come as you are, share a story, and maybe wear some Crocs in his honor—because let’s be real, he’d think that was hilarious.
A GoFundMe has been created in his honor to give him the send-off he deserves.
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