Obituary of Loren James Hemingway

Loren James Hemingway of Iowa City, Iowa passed away on Tuesday August 9, 2022 at the age of 30 from complications of Fanconi Anemia (FA).

Loren, son of Paul & Donna Hemingway, grew up on the family farm north of Oasis and was a 2010 graduate of West Branch High School. He was active in marching and jazz bands, school plays, wrestling, and the West Branch Friends Church. After his father Paul passed away from complications of acute myeloid leukemia, Loren organized a Boy Scout blood drive in his honor, and managed to meet the Eagle Scout deadline just shy of his 18th birthday.

After high school, Loren attended Kirkwood College, delivered the best pizza in Iowa City made at Wig and Pen East, then struck out on an adventure to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his lifelong friend Molly Whiteside and a small group of friends that met through an on-line group called ACoRP (A Collection of Random Pictures). His study of Environmental Science in spring 2016 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was interrupted by his diagnosis of Fanconi Anemia that was discovered when his bone marrow failed at age 24. This rare diagnosis led to two bone marrow transplants at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City, an FA treatment center.

Loren is survived by his mother Donna; brother Jon; sister Emily (DoHun) Kim; nephews Felix, Sonny, and Joon; grandparents Dick and Wann Towers; special friends, Molly and Shawn Ostendorf and their son Antos Loren; internet-famous hairless cat Leto; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Greeting Loren in heaven are his father Paul, grandparents Elmer and Lucille Hemingway, and many extended family members.

Loren had a wide range of interests. He was happy outside roughing it or in a high-end restaurant enjoying fancy food. He loved obscure films, hotter than hot sauce, anime, Sumo Wrestling and riding his motorcycles.

Loren will be remembered for his quick wit, his great ideas that came out of the blue, and his quiet thoughtfulness. He showed strength and endless patience through his FA journey. Even his NYC doctor called Loren “the most Zen patient I’ve ever had.” He greeted everyone with a friendly “Hey.” He will be missed by his on-line gaming friends and all who met him and loved him.

A Celebration of Loren’s life will be held Saturday, August 13th at West Branch Friends Church at 11:00 am, with a visitation beginning at 10:00 am. Friends and family are invited to his family farm located at (5544 280th St NE, Iowa City) Saturday after 5:00 pm for fellowship, memory sharing and a bonfire at dusk. Please bring a lawn chair. All are welcome to attend both events.

Memorials are suggested to Fanconi Anemia Research Fund in Loren’s honor. (https://www.fanconi.org/; 360 E. 10th Ave., Suite 201, Eugene, OR 97401)

Loren's celebration of life is being livestreamed and can be join but using the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88609850853