Jessica Lee Doolittle was born September 11th, 1986, to Rio and Sheryl (Turner) Doolittle, and Brother Mitch, at Broadlawns Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. She began her life as a premature fragile little baby in the NICU with the sole purpose of changing the world around her. Diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome early on, she was the first in Iowa to be diagnosed as such and began her journey challenging medical professionals throughout the way. With little hope of surviving beyond 3 months old, she survived on the absolute love and care of her mother, father, and a close-knit family, she surpassed medical expectations and proceeded through a full life with no regard for what was written or expected of her.
Her Mother and Father had a hard go for many years. Jess was not an easy case for doctors, and they often had to be persuaded to provide the care she needed. Many families would have relinquished the harsh responsibilities of a special needs child of her caliber to a care facility, but her family took her home, loved her, and provided all the care she would ever need. Learning the ins and outs of G-tube feeding, oxygen machines, heart monitors, sign language, physical therapy, etc. Being that young with responsibilities of that sort molded them into an inseparable family.
Once her earliest health concerns were met, she became mobile. Very mobile… Adapting to crawl with her head down she traveled the house. When she needed to be contained, she was placed in her baby walker and roamed freely and happily with little to no regard for obstacles or objects. Once she could walk, she was on a mission. Rarely paced or wandering slowly, when she was going somewhere- she was going- if you were supposed to be following her- you did your best to keep up. Giggling and laughing, looking for the next bit of trouble she could get into, she was unstoppable. Her pound for pound strength was unmatched. Routine blood draws shared similarities with a wrestling match, with 4-5 grown adults fighting to retrieve 1 simple vial from her 60lb body. She humbled many male med students who thought they could handle her with ease.
Jessica loved to hang and swing. Born without a balance system in her inner ear, she had no concept of equilibrium. She walked by sight, not by balance. She preferred to spend hours a day with her feet hooked in the cushions on the recliner, back arched hanging over the arm of the chair in a rocking motion. She created the perfect ab workout and loved it. A typical sit on park swing she would lay over the seat with her head and feet towards the ground and just glide without a care in the world. Spinning was her superhero power. Without the semicircular canals in the ears- she couldn’t get dizzy. It was quite the party trick to wind her up on the homemade spinning shed swing listen to her giggle. Many others tried to match her talent, non-succeeded. She was known by many names, Jess, Hannah- always had her hands somewhere they shouldn’t be, Boog, Pretty face- Grandpa Gary’s favorite.
She developed her own style, not the kind of style you see by online creators or magazines and fashion shows, more like onesie pajamas, mismatched, goofy shirts, bright colors, winter coats in the summer, knit gloves kind of style. Her fashion accessories included goggles, sunglasses, sweat bands on her wrist, and a seat belt end in her hand. Often she requested to have pictures of loved ones taped to her wrist to keep mom and dad busy. Many of you will remember her as a little girl with her terry cloth rag and a smile.
She was a traveler. Attending school at Smouse in Des Moines, I-35 in New Virginia, Ruby Van Meter in Des Moines, Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs, and Perkins School for the Deaf and Blind in Boston, Massachusetts. Summers spent at Camp Courageous in Monticello and respite weekends at Easter Seals Camp Sunny Side in Des Moines, camping and boating at local campgrounds, creating lifelong bonds with people that were forever impacted by her infectious smile and ornery antics. Graced with educators that went out of their way as advocates for her needs, they developed systems and means for Jessica to learn to communicate and integrate with society. A very special mention her great educators Nan Hamilton, and the Nancy Paramo. The best teachers and friends she could have ever asked for.
Jessica never knew a stranger. Greeting those, she passed with a pinch, a poke, a bra check, flipping them off, a wave, a friendly grunt or squeal, or just taking a place on their lap. She thrived on the startle she gave them. She was a part of her brother’s group of friends. Riding the streets of New Virginia on the rear pegs of a bicycle, no one dared mess with Jess, her big brother and his friends wouldn’t let it slide. Often the first one that was greeted as friends arrived at a party at the Doolittle house, also often the friends were just wondering where she was before she snuck up on them and “got them”. Seeing a 240lb athletic high school senior back up in a corner and look around asking where little 70lb Jess was because she was mean to him was quite comical. Once the party wound down, Jess would scan the sleeping and find someone to cuddle with. Many took her choice as an honor.
Caring for Jessica in her adult years was a full-time job for many hands with greater rewards than anyone could ask for. Cared for by her mother, father, and sisters-in-law Lacy, and Spring Potter, she had her own apartment and spent time around her nieces and nephew. She enjoyed watching them scurry around and be little, often pestering them for her own amusement, as they did to her. She loved her kids, Alana, Addison, Alyssa, Miranda, Payton, and Logan. Her caretakers took her on adventures to all the sporting events and school functions where she was friends of their friends and well received in the community.
In reflection on Jessica’s life, she is the only person you will probably ever know whose sole purpose in life was to have a positive impact on yours. She lived by her own rules, survived with grit, made her own schedule, and loved you for who you were. She cared nothing for wealth, status, or material things. She was never trying to change you. If you showed up, she was happy, if you didn’t, she didn’t hold it against you. She needed nothing from you but love, and she paid you back with a lifetime of hardships, happiness, and memories that made you a better person. In a loving way, she left no burden on her caretakers in passing. She waited until she was in the care of skilled professionals and took her last step to heaven. No more surgeries, no medications, no pain, no burden. Just a life well lived. A journey never to be duplicated.
Jessica passed away on October 30, 2026. She was preceded in death by her dad on April 28, 2026; Grandpa’s Gary Doolittle and Carl Turner; step grandpa Robert Conway; dear friend Nancy Paramo and many proud great grandparents.
Survivors include her mother, Sheryl; brother Mitch (Lacy); nieces Alana (Louden Main), Addison, Alyssa; grandmothers Kay Doolittle and Donna Conway; Uncle Nick (Erin) Doolittle; cousins and other family members and lots of friends. A visitation was held at the New Virginia United Methodist Church on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon. After a luncheon at the church, there was a 1:30 p.m. graveside service in the New Virginia Cemetery. Her casketbearers were Bugs, Tuff, Poot, Clay, Rucker, Uncle Nick. Honorary pallbearers were Laner, Turbo, Boo, Dee, Lacy, Spring, Peyton, Hannah. Memorials are in her name for the family to decide. Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr was in charge of the arrangements.
