Obituary for Edmund Thomas McMahon
WATERVLIET - With his fighting spirit still burning, Edmund Thomas McMahon passed away on April 30, 2021 at the age of 84. His family was by his side.
We will remember him for many things: the twinkle in his bright blue eyes, his quickness to share a laugh and a smile, his cheerful face at many of our games, performances, and races. But perhaps most of all, we will remember his fierce loyalty, stubborn determination, and unwavering support. He was always there for us; our brick wall to lean on.
Ed achieved much of what he wanted out of life, often against great odds. Born into poverty in the midst of the Great Depression, he and his brothers—pails in hand— would often follow a coal train as it rumbled over a particularly bumpy section of track in hopes of collecting some loose pieces to help heat their family’s small flat. He overcame a debilitating stutter as a boy, and at times joked that he had the crooked nose to prove it. When he was 14, his father Joseph died, leaving his mom Marie to care for seven children.
Ed graduated from Troy High School in 1955. Soon thereafter, he joined the United States Army. He was selected for the President’s Honor Guard and was there to welcome a young Queen Elizabeth II on her first official trip to the United States. After his service in the Army, he returned home where he met and soon married his bride of nearly 62 years, Carmel M. Coviello McMahon. A year after their wedding, their first child Thomas Edmund was born. Their daughter Mary Tracy arrived three years later. And their youngest, Kevin Joseph, three years after that.
For much of his early adult life, Ed worked for Behr Manning/Norton. But he yearned for something more. So, he returned to school. While working full-time and helping to raise three children, he attended night school, first at Hudson Valley Community College and then at Russell Sage College. In turn, our dining room table became his study space. Six years after beginning college, he earned his bachelor’s degree. Soon thereafter, he left the factory floor for a position as an accountant for the federal government. He enjoyed 21 years there before retiring in late 1998.
Retirement afforded him more time for the things he enjoyed most: playing golf, shooting darts, reading books, and attending countless of his grandchildren’s events. And if there was an opportunity for a photo at one of those events, we knew what to expect. At some point, Ed would disappear from our group, only to reappear out of the corner of our eyes as he angled his way to the front to get the best shot. In retirement, Ed and Carm also travelled the country with their friends. Upon returning, Ed would faithfully check off the list of states they had visited. For the first time in their lives, they travelled abroad as well, including to Ireland, a place he loved.
He was predeceased by all his siblings and their spouses: Joseph (Mitsuko) McMahon, Ann (Gerald) Clement, Peter (Patricia) McMahon, Rita (Edward) Hope, Michael McMahon, Thomas McMahon, and William (Mary) McMahon.
Survivors include his wife, Carm; his children and their spouses: Thomas (Mary Beth) McMahon, Mary (Mark) White, and Kevin (Pamela) McMahon; and his eight grandchildren: Shane, Brice, Dean, and Luke McMahon; Kelsey (Matthew) Pierce and Caitlin and Casie White; and Brooks McMahon. He is also survived by several nieces and a nephew.
Near the end, Ed reflected on a life well-lived, and noted with a bit of a grin and a touch of pride: “Not bad for a poor boy from South Troy.”
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 2416 7th Avenue, Watervliet at 9:30am on Saturday, May 8, 2021 to which family and friends are invited. Interment will be in the Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Troy.
The family requests in lieu of flowers donations in Ed’s memory be made to the Watervliet Civic Center, PO Box 164, Watervliet, NY 12189 or to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516 or woundedwarriorproject.org.
Condolence book at ParkerBrosMemorial.com.
We will remember him for many things: the twinkle in his bright blue eyes, his quickness to share a laugh and a smile, his cheerful face at many of our games, performances, and races. But perhaps most of all, we will remember his fierce loyalty, stubborn determination, and unwavering support. He was always there for us; our brick wall to lean on.
Ed achieved much of what he wanted out of life, often against great odds. Born into poverty in the midst of the Great Depression, he and his brothers—pails in hand— would often follow a coal train as it rumbled over a particularly bumpy section of track in hopes of collecting some loose pieces to help heat their family’s small flat. He overcame a debilitating stutter as a boy, and at times joked that he had the crooked nose to prove it. When he was 14, his father Joseph died, leaving his mom Marie to care for seven children.
Ed graduated from Troy High School in 1955. Soon thereafter, he joined the United States Army. He was selected for the President’s Honor Guard and was there to welcome a young Queen Elizabeth II on her first official trip to the United States. After his service in the Army, he returned home where he met and soon married his bride of nearly 62 years, Carmel M. Coviello McMahon. A year after their wedding, their first child Thomas Edmund was born. Their daughter Mary Tracy arrived three years later. And their youngest, Kevin Joseph, three years after that.
For much of his early adult life, Ed worked for Behr Manning/Norton. But he yearned for something more. So, he returned to school. While working full-time and helping to raise three children, he attended night school, first at Hudson Valley Community College and then at Russell Sage College. In turn, our dining room table became his study space. Six years after beginning college, he earned his bachelor’s degree. Soon thereafter, he left the factory floor for a position as an accountant for the federal government. He enjoyed 21 years there before retiring in late 1998.
Retirement afforded him more time for the things he enjoyed most: playing golf, shooting darts, reading books, and attending countless of his grandchildren’s events. And if there was an opportunity for a photo at one of those events, we knew what to expect. At some point, Ed would disappear from our group, only to reappear out of the corner of our eyes as he angled his way to the front to get the best shot. In retirement, Ed and Carm also travelled the country with their friends. Upon returning, Ed would faithfully check off the list of states they had visited. For the first time in their lives, they travelled abroad as well, including to Ireland, a place he loved.
He was predeceased by all his siblings and their spouses: Joseph (Mitsuko) McMahon, Ann (Gerald) Clement, Peter (Patricia) McMahon, Rita (Edward) Hope, Michael McMahon, Thomas McMahon, and William (Mary) McMahon.
Survivors include his wife, Carm; his children and their spouses: Thomas (Mary Beth) McMahon, Mary (Mark) White, and Kevin (Pamela) McMahon; and his eight grandchildren: Shane, Brice, Dean, and Luke McMahon; Kelsey (Matthew) Pierce and Caitlin and Casie White; and Brooks McMahon. He is also survived by several nieces and a nephew.
Near the end, Ed reflected on a life well-lived, and noted with a bit of a grin and a touch of pride: “Not bad for a poor boy from South Troy.”
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 2416 7th Avenue, Watervliet at 9:30am on Saturday, May 8, 2021 to which family and friends are invited. Interment will be in the Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Troy.
The family requests in lieu of flowers donations in Ed’s memory be made to the Watervliet Civic Center, PO Box 164, Watervliet, NY 12189 or to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516 or woundedwarriorproject.org.
Condolence book at ParkerBrosMemorial.com.