Obituaries : Shawn Eric McDonald

Shawn Eric McDonald, 53, of NE Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Center Point, Iowa. A memorial service take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026, at the funeral home. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Urbana, Iowa. 

Shawn was born June 20, 1972, in Cedar Rapids, to Lawrence and Jennie L. (Rohrbacher) McDonald. He graduated from College Community High School, where he performed in national award-winning music ensembles. He went on to attend Belmont University to further pursue his passion for music, later moving to Missouri to study at the College of the Ozarks in Branson.

His love of music eventually took him to Nashville, Tennessee, where he also discovered a passion for cooking while working as a sous chef at the 101^st Airborne Restaurant, a fine dining establishment. Shawn spent more than 11 years in the food service industry and previously worked as a chef at Grand Living at Indian Creek in Cedar Rapids.

 He is survived by his siblings, Kevin L. McDonald and Michelle “Shelly” (Don) Tuttle; his nieces, Nicole and Elizabeth; and his nephews, Dustin, Daren, and Joshua.

 He was preceded in death by his parents, Larry and Jennie McDonald.

A GoFundMe page will be created to honor Shawn’s memory and assist with funeral expenses.

Please share a memory of Shawn at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.