Christopher Cavanaugh

Christopher Paul Cavanaugh, 68, of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, formerly of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away suddenly on October 1, 2025. A Visitation will be held at Stewart Baxter Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids Tuesday, November 25, 2025 from 5-7 p.m. Per his wishes, Chris’s cremated remains will be spread across the family Century Farm the following day.

Born September 25, 1957, in Cedar Rapids, he was the eldest child of George and Rose Marie (Schmitz) Cavanaugh. He attended St. Pius X Grade School and Regis High School, graduating in 1975. Growing up near Noelridge Park in an era where you rode a bike to a friend’s house, played sandlot baseball, and caught crawdads in the creek, he formed bonds with many of the families in the neighborhood. There are countless stories of him being the “sheepdog” of the neighborhood, confronting any of the bullies that picked on other kids.  Chris excelled at baseball, and when his homerun hitting days at Daniels Park were over, he went to work across the street at National Oats for three years.

Once Chris had enough money in his pocket, he packed up his 1947 Plymouth, spread his wings, and headed south for Tulsa, Oklahoma. After arriving, he picked up the carpentry trade, where over the next 47 years he became one of the most meticulous, well-rounded and sought-after people in the entire region of Oklahoma and Arkansas, having worked for only two construction companies during that entire span, most recently, Marietta Construction LLC. In a world full of people that “measure once, then cut four times”, Chris was a perfectionist.  From the table he hand-built for his parents 25^th wedding anniversary, to the countless remodel projects, to the endless list of custom homes he helped take from concept to reality, he had an attention to detail like no other. While his co-workers labeled his personal ladder with “Grumpy”, it wasn’t until his family worked alongside him building a cabin at the family farm, did we truly know what that meant, and that his standards were far beyond our reach.

Outside of work, Chris enjoyed many of the simple things in life…. tending his garden, hunting morel mushrooms, pheasant hunting with family, morning coffee with the guys in Siloam Springs, and savoring a cold beer and conversation on the porch of the farm. But, of all that he loved and was grateful for in life, nothing brought him as much joy and purpose as being a father to Hannah Marie. Every board he cut, every nail he hammered, every drop of sweat was for her, the apple of his eye. Just like his father before him, everything he did was for his family and without thought of reward. His life was dedicated to giving her every opportunity and chance he never took for himself.

Survivors include his daughter, Hannah Marie; sister, Cecelia Gustafson (Tom) and children, Greta, Ingrid, Elsa, and Swen of Cedar Rapids; four brothers, Craig (Karen) and sons, Dylan (Cedar Rapids), Ian (Chicago), and Nolan (Des Moines), Curt of Cedar Rapids, Cary of Cedar Rapids, and Charles (Tammy) and daughter, Lawrencia of Cedar Rapids.  Also surviving are his aunts, Mary Ellen Schmitz of Kirkville, Iowa, and Tina Schmitz of Cedar Rapids; uncles, Ron Schmitz (Ryan) of Ecuador; along with numerous cousins, friends, and co-workers. Chris was preceded in death by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Chris Cavanaugh Memorial c/o Stewart Baxter Funeral Home 1844 1^st Avenue NE Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402, with all proceeds benefiting his daughter Hannah Marie as she completes her nursing degree.

Please share your support and memories with Chris’s family on his Tribute Wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under Obituaries.