Caption

Close

Every morning, around 8 a.m., James Frederick McMahon would go with his daughters to the Denny’s on Ingram Road. Everyone at the restaurant knew his regular order — an over-hard egg, sausage and a stack of pancakes with sugar-free syrup and extra butter. Coffee and water with a straw.

It was there that Susan McMahon and her sister, Jane, overheard much about their father’s childhood and long career in the military, topics he rarely brought up at home. For years, as McMahon went to the same restaurant, the women listened as their father told stories of fighting in one war and being on active duty for another during three decades of service, about working as a New York policeman and later as a civil service police officer at Kelly AFB.

They heard him explain how as a child during the Great Depression, he scraped together extra money for his family by transporting people to church with a cart and a pony named Jerry. How on Long Island he caddied for JP Morgan Jr. and Babe Ruth, who always kept a flask in his bag. How during World War II he fought all over Europe and flew 35 missions as a bombardier for the Army Air Corps. How he was a decorated officer who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

Even as his age crept toward the century mark, McMahon still seemed young. He mowed his lawn every other day and worked in the yard up until a few days before he was hospitalized last month.

Workers at the restaurant on Ingram grew to love McMahon, his stories and his penchant for dancing with staff (he loved polka music). McMahon regularly brought in keychains and other trinkets for the manager’s 13-year-old son.

“He was very generous. Very nice. Always had a smile on his face,” said Denny’s general manager Heather Juarez.

Two weeks ago, McMahon didn’t come in for his Sunday breakfast. The staff found out where he was being cared for and visited, bringing along his usual breakfast. On Jan. 29, McMahon died after suffering a heart attack. He was 100.

Growing up, Susan watched and learned from her father. McMahon did not fully articulate why he loved the military, but Susan knew he did. After her father’s death, she found all his records in a cabinet, neatly filed.

“I saw his leadership and how he made sure that he treated everyone that worked for him equally,” said Susan McMahon. “He was just a great leader.”

lcaruba@express-news.net

James Frederick McMahon

Born:August 25, 1916, Long Island, New York

Died:January 29, 2017, San Antonio

Preceded by: Wife Jane E. McMahon; parents; brother Stuart and sister Margaret.

Survivors:Daughters Susan and Jane McMahon; brothers John and Donald McMahon.

Services: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.