SGT Declan Joseph Coady

SGT Declan Joseph Coady, beloved son, brother, and friend, passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the age of 20, in a drone strike in Kuwait.

Declan was born May 5, 2005, in Manassas, Virginia, the third child of Andrew Joseph and Katherine Johnson (Crandall) Coady.

Declan grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa, with his loving and supportive family. They enjoyed camping in our nation's National Parks, where they also enjoyed hiking, white water rafting, and just being in nature. Declan, along with his brothers, Aidan and Rowan, were all active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts; all three achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Ever competitive, Declan wanted to earn more merit badges than his brothers. He earned a total of 56 merit badges. Declan also enjoyed swimming on the Northside Otters swim team with his sister, Keira, and his brothers; he went on to swim as a Valley Tiger at Valley High School, as did each of his siblings.

Declan attended Sacred Heart Catholic School before transferring to Western Hills Elementary School in the fifth grade; he then attended Stillwell Junior High School and graduated from Valley High School in 2023. He attended Drake University, where he was studying information systems, cybersecurity, and computer science. He enlisted in the Army Reserve and graduated from Basic Combat Training (BCT) in March 2024 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and from Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in July 2024 at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

While at Drake University, he participated in the ROTC program; he could have signed a contract with ROTC and avoided his unit's deployment to Kuwait, but instead, he chose to remain with his unit, and as a member of the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), he deployed to Kuwait in August 2025.

Declan spoke frequently to his family, and it was clear to all of them that he was fulfilled by the work that he was doing. Even with time differences, Declan continually made time to play video games with his older brother, Aidan, or to talk for hours with his parents, his older sister, Keira, and younger brother, Rowan about anime, plans for the future, and numerous shared interests. His family will always remember how loving, funny, and determined he was. He often spoke about extending his deployment in Kuwait and about going on active duty upon his return. Unfortunately, his plans were cut short by an Iranian drone strike the morning of March 1, 2026.

Declan will always be remembered as a brave, kind, and loyal young man. He was always willing to lend a hand and encourage others to achieve their highest potential. His education was very important to him; even in his deployment, he was enrolled in classes to stay on track for his degree. To Declan's family, who miss him terribly, he continues to be an inspiration and a source of light.

Declan is survived by his parents, Andrew and Katherine; siblings, Aidan, Keira, and Rowan; paternal grandparents, Larry and Sandra (Elsass) Coady; maternal aunts, Cynthia (Patrick) Gartland and Marianne (Shawn Halvorson) Crandall; paternal uncles, Bill and Keith (Ruth) Coady; cousins, Sarah (Diego) Ortiz, Micheal Gartland, Christopher Gartland, Cain Crandall, Jordan Coady, Lynn Sholander, and Chelsea (Greg) Purtle; and many more loving family members and friends who will carry his memory forward.

He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Charles David and Mary Rebecca (Johnson) Crandall.

Public visitation: Friday, March 20, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. at The Bridge (10025 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA 50131).
Services: Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 2 p.m. at The Bridge (10025 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA 50131). A reception will follow the services at The Bridge.

Private Burial services will follow the reception for family, close friends and service members at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel, IA.

In lieu of flowers and to honor Declan, donations can be made to the Declan Coady Memorial Fund https://alumni.drake.edu/declancoadymemorial administered through Drake University.

The service will be livestreamed. Please use this link: https://vimeo.com/event/5791365?fl=so&fe=fs or go to Declan's obituary page at www.IlesCares.com for the link and to leave online condolences.

The family also asks for continued prayers for our men and women in uniform who are currently serving, those who have been wounded in past and present conflicts, and all our veterans.

The public is warmly invited to show their support, love and respect to Sgt. Declan Coady and his family along the route from the church to the cemetery. (We are planning to leave for the cemetery around 4:15pm)

Out of respect for the family's privacy, media coverage will be limited to a designated pool feed. No additional media will be permitted inside the church or at the cemetery.

Arrangements by Iles Westover Chapel.