Twenty-five years wasn’t nearly enough time, but if you knew Jarod, you know he made every single one of them count.
Jarod Edward “Bubba” Willison, 25, of East Palestine, Ohio, passed away on April 13, 2026 — leaving behind a hole in the world that only someone with his oversized heart and even bigger personality could fill. Born January 12, 2001, in Washington Court House, Ohio, Jarod had a gift for making life feel a little warmer, a little louder, and a whole lot more fun for everyone lucky enough to be around him.
If you needed something — anything —Jarod was already on his way. The kind of guy who’d hand you the shirt off his back for family and friends, before they could even finish asking, he moved through life with a generosity that felt almost impossible for someone so young. He was the first to crack a joke, the first to show up, and the last to leave — unless, of course, there was an Xbox waiting for him at home. An avid Call of Duty player, Jarod took his gaming seriously (even if his opponents didn’t always survive long enough to appreciate it). When he wasn’t conquering virtual battlefields, he could be found visiting and helping out his family or hanging out with his beloved cat, Coffee.
But Jarod wasn’t all laughs and headshots — he had a hero in him, too. He volunteered as a Junior Fireman with the Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department, running toward the kind of situations most people run from. That was Jarod in a nutshell: carefree spirit, serious heart.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents Lee Roy Barnhart, Mark Smith, and Lester Willison Sr. He is survived by the enormous, loving crew who will carry him forward every day: his parents, Lester (Peggy) Willison Jr. and Holly Leonard; his sisters, Ashley and Elizabeth Willison; his brothers, Robert (Courtney) Stephens Jr. and Andrew (Lauren) Stephens; his grandparents, Beverly Barnhart, Phyllis Smith, Bob and Trudy Nolder, and John and Darlene Kirkpatrick; and his 11 nieces and nephews, who adored their Uncle Jarod right back, and many aunts and uncles.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate Jarod’s life on Monday, April 20th, 2026, at the Martin Chapel of Care Funeral & Cremation Specialists in Calcutta, Ohio. Visitation will be held from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, followed by a service officiated by Life Celebrant Fawn Householder. Come ready to share a story, share a laugh, and celebrate a life that — though far too short — was beautifully, fully, and unforgettably lived.
Rest easy, Jarod. You were one of a kind.
