MCMAHON, Thomas Francis
During a cool Tucson morning, at some time before 4 a.m. on September 28, 2021, the life of Doctor Thomas Francis McMahon, an affable but tough Chicago native ended at age 80. Eight decades of people healed, Navy ships sailed, children raised, neighbors helped, family first principles lived, and artisan hands building intricate crafts were closed. His last breath drawn with his son and daughter flanking his sides and filling his last Tucson home with love.
We all lost something far less than we gained from Tom McMahon - even against his relatively sudden death. An old Navy man, he believed thoroughly in the old latin phrase, that his Irish Catholic upbringing embodied, Acta Non Verba … Deeds Not Words. Defying today's generation, he was always present in conversations, insightful in his views, hated his phone, didn't need Google to know something, and held acts of true accomplishment in the highest regard. If you matched his presence in a moment - you learned something in every encounter. Anyone within his sphere of influence, or walking radius of his beloved Golden Retrievers, knew of Tom's sense of humor, love of country, and wholesome belief in good men and women alike … whether you were a PhD, General officer in the Marine Corps, or a grounds keeper on a golf course. If you worked hard and held yourself to be a person of honor, Tom loved talking to you.
A man of principle, and a thorough professional, capturing his complete essence stretches well beyond this obituary. The arc of his life jumped from the streets of Chicago, to the Tonkin Gulf of Vietnam, to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, to his Dental Practice of over two decades in Denver, to numerous Final Fours of College Basketball championships, to the breathtaking brilliance of the Santorini cliff sides in Greece, to everyday early mornings in Tucson with a coffee, a sunrise, and a loyal Golden named Sam, Jake, and - finally - Maddie. His last years were engulfed by numerous cancers, attacking from seemingly every angle. He maneuvered through numerous surgeries, bouts of radiation, and endless toxins to help kill the toxins … and did so with the toughness that upheld the honor of his name: McMahon.
Born to Joseph Jerome McMahon, a WWII veteran, Dentist, and hard man from the depression, and Helen Noonan McMahon, a strong-willed woman with wit that was only matched by her intellect, Tom embodied the best elements of the Greatest Generation. An adept athlete in his day, his son literally never beat him in basketball. He then followed in his father's footsteps - going to Northwestern University and then Loyola's School of Medicine to become a Dentist. This combination of athlete and dentist would define key parts of his life - bringing various titles, like Doctor, Executive Director of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, and a bedrock member of Denver Organizing Committee. That said, he clearly cherished three titles above all others: father; husband; friend. His first wife, Ruth McMahon, began his adventurous years with two kids in Denver, Colorado. Later in life, his second wife, Kerry McMahon, found them setting off on a housing adventure of almost 25 years, 17 homes, and four states. The flip was almost as fun as the find.
On any given walk of any given day, he was quick to tell you about his kids, whom he loved as much as they loved him. He would engage in a political debate quickly … but would fall away from these chats when logic left the room. Cerebral, logical, and sharp, Tom was a man we all learned from. He wasn't without faults and possessed a strong spine that spurned a rough temper should you cross this good man. To some, he embodied this thoroughly: "A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very dangerous man who has it under voluntary control." But his temper rarely flared, and his laughter was frequent … a fortunate thing for us all.
The final autopsy of his phone revealed the complexities we all knew resided in this substantive American. While he hated phones, he loved the pictures it captured … and it showcased his eclectic tastes. The albums depicted delicate photos in sensitive light of too many flowers to count. Various pictures of cars were everywhere, so long as they were clean, fast, and meticulously cared for. Detailed photos of watches captured his love of Swiss made masterpieces, which closely tied into pictures of his own master craftsman models of impossibly complex detail. Finally came the highest concentration of photos: his family, which, of course, included his beloved golden retrievers. For anyone under 30, this will be alien to you … he had one selfie. One. That's what happens when you live selflessly.
Tom, we say good-bye but never farewell - your life is safe and secure in your children's minds, memories and actions. You were dearly loved in life; you will be deeply missed in death; and, we affirm your life's greatest lessons, love, and legacy in ours. Farewinds and following seas, old man, we'll see you again in Valhalla where we can find someone that deserves to be fought the old Navy way … that the youth of today would be too soft to even contemplate.
He is survived by his daughter, Christie (Tom); son, Darren (Aimilia); granddaughters, Shannon, Marin and Erika; wife, Kerry and loyal Golden, Maddie. Arrangements by ANGEL VALLEY FUNERAL HOME.
