Rev. Mr. Jack W. McMahon, age 89, beloved husband of Margaret M. McMahon (nee Feeley), loving father of Maureen McMahon, Mary Kocourek (John), Rosemary Rosen (James), Meg Christensen (Lance), Eileen McMahon, Daniel McMahon, Jacqueline Floan (David), John McMahon, and Paul McMahon (Ruth).  Proud grandfather of 16, and great grandfather of 5, and dear uncle of many nieces and nephews.  Fond brother of Larry McMahon (Ginger), the late Robert McMahon (Pat), and the late Thomas McMahon (Nancy).  Funeral from Hamsher Lakeside Funerals, 12 North Pistakee Lake Road, Fox Lake Il.  Visitation at the funeral home on Tuesday, Jan.3, 2017 at 4-8 pm.  Mass at St. Bede's Parish at the intersection of Rt. 59 and Wilson, Ingleside, IL at 10 am January 4, 2017.

Deacon McMahon's service to the church began as an altar server at St. Angela's Parish on the west side of Chicago.  His idol and mentor throughout his life was his uncle, Msgr. John McMahon, who was the longtime pastor of St. Sabina's Parish.  He pursued his vocation initially attending the Passionist Monastery in St. Paul, KS, but found his true calling was to marry his wife Marge McMahon, and to expand the breadth of the Church membership by having six daughters ad three sons.  He worked and tirelessly, often having three jobs at the same time to support his family, including working as a bridgetender on the Chicago River, and then as an electrician in the Department of Water for the City of Chicago.  During this time, he served others, on very little sleep, as a lector at Resurrection Parish in Wayne, IL, and then as the President of the St. Vincent DePaul Society, Pastoral Council, and Minister of Communion at St. Ignatius Parish in Rogers Park.  As a proud member of the United States Army, he served during the occupation of Rome in 1946-47, and then served many roles for the VFW posts in West Chicago, Skokie and Fox Lake IL.  Upon his retirement with the City of Chicago, and with the encouragement of his pastor, Fr. Paul Brandt, SJ, he and Marge became a part of the first class of deacons in the Archdiocese of Chicago, being ordained as a permanent deacon in 1983 at Holy Name Cathedral.  He truly made this a second full-time career, for the next 25 plus years, working during the week visiting the sick and the elderly, traveling with his wife Marge to bring food to the homebound with Meals on Wheels, and preaching, performing baptisms and marriages, first at St. Ignatius Parish and then at St. Bede's Parish in Ingleside, IL.  His sermons always began with a lighthearted joke or story, as he always felt that was the best way to open people's hearts to the Gospel.  He formed many friendships in the clergy and congregation, none dearer than his pastor at St. Bede's, the recently deceased, Fr. Fitzpatrick, as well as his fellow deacons and their wives, Rev. Mr. Larry and Fran Spoor, Rev. Mr. Gregg and Eileen Zeifert, as well as his friend who brought him communion until the end, John Bieschke.