Robert “Bob” Emmett McMahon Jr., age 92 of Middleton, WI (formerly of Clintonville, WI) passed away at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison on April 9, 2021 after a brief illness.
He was born on December 16, 1928 in Wyocena, WI to the late Robert E. McMahon Sr. and Anna Laurie Johnson McMahon. Bob attended Wyocena Public Schools for grades 1-8 and Portage High School until graduation in 1946 where he played basketball, baseball, and golf. In August of 1946 he joined the United States Marine Corps. After boot camp at Parris Island, SC he was stationed at Quantico, VA. From there he was shipped to Tientsin, China for occupation duty. He was then stationed at Camp Pendleton in CA. During this time he went to Kodiak, AK, to test winter survival gear. He was discharged after three years of service and awarded the Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal, China Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal and was a Life member of the American Legion. Bob attended UW-Stevens Point from 1949-1954 majoring in Biology and Conservation. He received his Master’s Degree in Conservation from the University of Michigan and also attended Hamline University, Wilkes University, and Indiana University on science scholarships during summer sessions. While at UW-Stevens Point, he met the love of his life, Jackie Piehl. They were married in 1954 and moved to Merrill, WI where Bob taught Conservation. In 1957, they moved to Clintonville where Bob taught Biology, Field Biology, World History and Aerospace Science in the high school until his retirement in 1989. Bob coached the high school curling team for a number of years with Clintonville winning the state championship in 1972. It was the first winning of a state championship by the high school in any sport. Aerospace Science was a unique high school class, taught in only a few schools in the state and trained students to test for a private pilot’s license. Bob was a long-time member of the Clintonville Golf Course and the Clintonville Curling Club. He was on the Curling team that won the National Seniors Curling Championship in St. Paul, MN in 1991. He was a Private Pilot, President of the Clintonville Flying Club and taught Private Pilot Ground School to adults in night classes. He was also a member of the State of Wisconsin Aerospace Committee. The 1982 Wisconsin Aviation Education Award was presented to Bob by the Wisconsin Council on Aeronautics. His hobbies were many and varied. Bob enjoyed fishing and made many trips to Canada, including fly-ins to isolated lakes. Bird watching was a life-long activity. He learned to play the harmonica after retirement and enjoyed playing in the summer at the Clintonville farmers market or up north during family vacations. Bob and Jackie attended the famous “ice bowl” game in 1967 when the Packers won in Green Bay. In 1989, he started a Clintonville Sr. High School retiree annual Christmas party. During the summers, the family would travel to all parts of the US. Bob and Jackie took Caribbean cruises and traveled to Europe several times. One of the most memorable trips was a Mediterranean Cruise with their children, and grandchildren. Every summer since 1991, the entire family would spend a week together at a cottage in northern Wisconsin. Bob travelled to Cuba for a week in 2012. After retirement Bob became a member of the ROMEO Club – Retirement Old Men Eating Out. He enjoyed breakfast at local restaurants most days with friends and family. Bob moved to Middleton in 2019 to be near his children and grandchildren and resided at Middleton Glen Retirement Community until his death.
Survivors include his children, Katie (Jack) McMahon-Ellenz of Stevens Point; Megan (Rad) Hawkos of Middleton; and Mick (Jan) McMahon of Middleton. He is further survived by his grandchildren: Kyle McMahon, Maria McMahon, Ryan Hawkos, Kaitlin (Russell) Knudson, Jamie (Eric Lindgren) Dunn, and two great-grandchildren, William Knudson and Cameron Knudson. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Emmett and James, and two sisters, Elaine and Ethel Farrell. His wife of 55 years, Jackie Piehl McMahon died in 2010.
Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, April 14th at 11:00 a.m. at Christus Lutheran Church, Clintonville. Rev. Brian Crocker will officiate and burial will follow at Graceland Cemetery, Clintonville. Military Honors will be provided at the cemetery by members of the VFW Post 664, American Legion Post 63, and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 63, all of Clintonville. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until time of service at the church. Beil-Didier Funeral Home, Clintonville, is assisting the family with arrangements. Please go to http://www.beil-didier.com to sign the online guestbook or to send a card to the family.