Jeremy James Swafford, 49, of Wapello, IA, (aka Jerry, Jerdy, Jer -bear, Lil Swaffy, " Unky Hoopy"), passed away unexpectedly on August 20, 2026, at the University of Iowa ICU, surrounded by family.

He was raised in Oakville, Iowa, by James Swafford and Patricia Blint, with an older brother, Jason (Shelly) Swafford; later adding Patty Swafford (McGinnis) and her son, Aaron Jenkins. 

Jerry is preceded in death by his grandparents, Sierra Boudre, as well as several close friends, whose memories we hold dear.

As a child, he enjoyed playing many sports; it did not matter if it was on a ball field, wrestling mat, or even just out in the backyard. He was active and always on the go. When we were kids, I remember how cool he felt when he got that bike that had pegs on the front and rear rim axles. Heck, the damn handlebars would spin all the way around. You would find him skating on the weekends in Oakville, and he was very tough to beat at limbo, especially since the winner got free snacks.

He graduated from Wapello in 1995 and has lived in Wapello throughout his adulthood. He went to SCC and received a degree in 1997 in welding, ending up in the maintenance department at SSAB in Bluegrass, Iowa, where co-workers became great friends.

In his free time, he enjoyed making his family laugh, working on his "fixer-uppers" with the help of his good friend Russ Bonar. As we all know, he liked to go fast; whether it was on a dirt bike, sxs, four-wheelers, his plate boat, or even the red mustang he was so proud of. He also enjoyed going fishing and checking bank poles, and until recently, he enjoyed losing my tackle as well.

Along the way, he shared his life with some amazing kids. He had a son, Colton, and a daughter, Josalynn. He loved them so and was so proud of them, as I know they will continue to make him proud as they grow. He loved his niece Elizabeth and great-niece Delilah, who gave him the nickname " Unky Hoopy" since she could not say poopy as a toddler. They were always picking on each other, just like he did with her mom.

But these kids were not the only kids in our family that he loved dearly. Throughout the years, Jerry became kind of a bonus dad to Sierra Jane, Kohle, Kristina, Kyler, Kelson, Keegan, Addalyn, and Korbin. Savannah and Kiara also called him uncle. Jerry also had a springer spaniel, Otis, who is 13 years old this month and has been lost without his best friend.

We want to thank everyone's thoughts, prayers, and kind gestures. We are loved, and it is no surprise that he is loved by so many as well. Thank you. We plan to have some sort of shindig at a later date for everyone to get together and celebrate their love for Jerry. We will not be having a funeral service at this time.

Rest Easy

Son, Brother, Dad, and "Unky Hoopy"

Love,

Your "younger" big brother, Jason.