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Jerry Strawn Obituary

Jerry "AJ" Strawn passed peacefully early on January 26, 2025 after a hard fought battle with lung disease, surrounded by his beloved wife Diane and daughters, Amy & Jenni. Jerry was born on July 26, 1950 in St. Charles, Iowa to Wayne "Shorty" Strawn and Sallie (Johnson) Strawn. A 1968 graduate of I35 Schools, he attended Central College in Pella, Iowa for one semester, and then ventured out on his own. After a variety of careers, he found his calling as a "Jack of All Trades" doing whatever was needed â€" heavy machinery, bookkeeping, court appearances, or contract negotiations. Jerry's true love was all things automotive â€" especially his R/C addiction. He was preceded in death by his parents, Shorty & Sallie, and his in-laws, Tom & Wilma Denneny. He is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Diane (Denneny) Strawn, his children Amy (Eric) Davis; Jennifer (Mason) Boyd; two stepchildren, Kris (Hung) Le and Jeff (Jenn) Gould; and seven grandchildren; three siblings in the Des Moines area, Tom (Eilene) Strawn, Kent (Cyndie) Strawn, Pam (Matt) Helgeson; and numerous nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Gazette on Jan. 30, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
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2 Entries

Tim Sutherland

January 30, 2025

I have known AJ for many many years.

He has always been a breath of fresh air every time I've seen and talked with him.

Very knowledgeable in RC car setup and willing to help anyone who needed it.

We have all lost a very good man that showed us how we should treat others.

A strong competitor who was more than willing to show you the secrets.

I send his entire family huge hugs and hope they can maintain the memories created with him.

I know I will.

Josh Havlik

January 30, 2025

AJ was a great guy. I had competed for many years with AJ racing R/C cars, what a stand up guy and class act racer! I'm sure the rest of the racers would agree with me. Godspeed AJ, you will be missed.

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