Obituary of Hannah May Jorgensen

Hannah May Jorgensen, age 24, an area educator who from an early age always wanted to be a teacher, ultimately giving her life to her students with her final lesson plan on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2026 from 2 to 5 pm for family, friends, teachers, and students at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Coralville with funeral services for family, friends, teachers and her students as well held at 11am Monday, September 28, 2026, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Coralville. Private family graveside services will be held at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City where she will be buried near her grandfather, James Gorvin II. In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established to support causes that will allow her memory never to be forgotten. To share a thought, memory or condolence with her family please visit Gay and Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website @ www.gayandciha.com.

Hannah was born on August 6, 2002, at the former Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Growing up in Solon, she attended schools there graduating from Solon High School in 2020. She then enrolled and later graduated from Western Governors University with her BA degree in Elementary Education. Prior to beginning her student teaching, during high school and college she worked in day care in the area. She began her career in teaching with the Iowa City School District, first as a Para-educator at Garner Elementary, student teacher at Garner Elementary, then as a building substitute teacher for Wickham Elementary before becoming a 5th grade teacher at Norman Borlaug Elementary School last year.

Those who knew Hannah knew she had her mind set on being a teacher at an early age. For one Christmas she asked Santa for an overhead projector, with subsequent Christmases it became white boards and markers! Hannah enjoyed so much in life, spoiling herself with pedicures, make overs and her perfume. She enjoyed cooking, drinking her caffeine in whatever form it came, listening to music, attending concerts, taking walks, hiking, sand in her toes on the beach and simple lazy days. She adored cozy blankets and had quite the shoe collection. And the way to get these blankets and shoes was shopping which was never a short outing. She adored her students, friends and family and what she shared with them was her sense of humor, such wisdom for such a young age, calming presence, patience, confidence and immense love for all those around her. You didn’t have to be in a classroom to learn from Hannah, and her wish for all of us would be to carry on with the kindness and love that she so freely shared.

Hannah’s family includes her mother, Mandy and husband, Bobby Pearson; her fiancée, Dylan Johnson; her sisters, Carly Salesevic and husband, Izo, and nephew; Payton Pearson and Alivia Jorgensen; grandparents, Cindy Gorvin, Kathy Pearson and Jim Pearson; many Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends and Students.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Jim Gorvin II, and Clyde and Bonnie Jorgensen.