Melanie McGarvey Obituary, Death – Melanie McGarvey died peacefully in December 2020 at UIHC after a valiant and dreadful battle with a rare and severe form of cancer. Her family stood at her side throughout the war. Melanie was born in Iowa City, Iowa, on August 22, 1970, to Earl and Jan (Jindrich) Rogers. She probably spent the most of her childhood days outside, getting muddy. Her fascination with horses and other animals developed there. Melanie was a successful woman who graduated from Iowa City West High School before going on to Hamilton College of Business and receiving a business degree. Melanie was a hardworking and diligent employee.
Melanie went to high school and college, where she made numerous friends for life. She had a significant impact on many people. She didn’t stop there, though. Her mother-daughter relationship was filled with love, laughter, and joy. Melanie was her mother’s pulse. She also had a warm spot in her heart for her older brother, and although living hundreds of miles apart, she valued their friendship. Melanie appreciated having a younger sister who also served as her lifetime closest friend, human diary, and coworker. Their love was vibrant and one-of-a-kind. Melanie met her soulmate, John McGarvey, in 1988 while working in Iowa City.
On August 18, 1990, the pair married at the Methodist Church in Shueyville, Iowa. They were in love with life as much as they were with each other, and they spent 30 incredible and exhilarating years together. They were inseparable and quickly made Sutliff their home, spending many hours together enjoying life’s basic pleasures. He died on the same day Melanie died because they were each other’s better half. They balanced and complemented one another. Melanie started working at RR Donnelley in 1994. She liked her job and the people she worked with; she thought of them as her family. Despite her recent health issues, she was adamant on returning to work as soon as possible. Nothing could keep her from working, no matter what was going on in her life. Melanie was dedicated to her job as a Print Production Account Specialist at RR Donnelley, where she had worked for the last 26 years. She met a lot of people throughout the course of her 26-year career.
Melanie loved being outside and spending time with her family and friends. Melanie liked gardening, horseback riding, kayaking, boating, fishing, mushroom hunting, and spending time on the river with her husband and friends. She enjoyed all animals, especially her two house cats, Lenny and George, and her dog, Barrett. Nothing made her happier than being introduced to Grayson as “Auntie M.” Her disposition was positive, kind, and energetic. Her warmth, generosity, and love of life touched people all around the world. Her mother and siblings called her a “rock” and the “glue that held the family together.” Because of her incredible soul, the world is a better place. Her husband, John McGarvey of Lisbon, IA, mother, Jan Rogers of Cedar Rapids, IA, brother, Mike (Paula) Rogers of Gulf Shores, AL, sister Melissa Rogers of Lisbon, IA, sister-in-law Dayna Harrington, nephew Grayson, and niece Kylee will all greatly miss her.
