Vanessa Lee Roe passed away on January 19, 2024, at the University of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City, IA.

Vanessa was born in Michigan at a naval hospital. When she was young, her family moved to Dubuque, IA, and relocated to Freeport, IL, during her junior high school year. She lived in Honolulu, HI, twice throughout the 2000s but eventually relocated back to Dubuque, IA.
Vanessa was a member of First Lutheran Church in Freeport for many years.

Vanessa raised her niece, Rebecca Lane, and her mother, Marsha Roe, with whom she taught and shared her love of art, theater, reading, and nature. Throughout her professional career, she spent her life caring for others and took pride in every job she had. She had worked as a housekeeper for the Ramanda Inn, then went to work for various nursing homes as a dietary and laundry aid at Provena Saint Joseph in Freeport, IL. In Dubuque, she worked for a cleaning company before working for McDonald's.

Vanessa was passionate about travel, reading, and watching mystery shows and musicals. She had traveled to Hawaii more than three times and called it her true home. Vanessa traveled to Hawaii, Las Vegas, Mississippi, Boston, and Montreal, Canada throughout her life. She loved reading thrillers and mysteries, James Patterson being one of her favorite authors She also enjoyed reading classic literature from William Shakespeare to Agatha Christie. In her spare time, Vanessa studied Japanese, Polynesian, and French languages. She loved the arts and spent time with loved ones, especially the holidays.

She is survived by her sister Penny Roe, nieces Rebecca Lane and Tanesha Bland, nephews Louis Lane and Otha Bland Jr., great nephews Liam and Lucas Lane, great niece Lucy Lane, aunts Michelle Miller and Luann Thompson, uncles Daniel Thompson and Tom Thompson, cousins Mariah Miller, Madisson Miller, Taylor Thompson, and loving friends.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Marsha Roe, and father, Voepel Roe. A celebration of life will occur at a later date.  Condolences can be left for the family at www.walkermortuary.com.