James Richard MacMahon OBITUARY James Richard MacMahon (Jim) died peacefully at home on July 24, 2024, just shy of his 94th birthday, from congestive heart failure. He was born to Gladys and Benjamin MacMahon in 1930 in Newton, Massachusetts during the Great Depression. His parents had moved from New York City to Newton after the stock market crash to change careers (Ben had been an actor and Gladys a journalist) and raise a family.
When Jim was ten years old, they moved to Miami where he grew up having fun tubing down the Miami River, sailing the coastal waters, hunting snakes with the Seminoles in the Everglades, learning photography and playing saxophone. In high school he had a jazz band that played around Miami and all the musicians and instruments, including a string bass, fit into his two-toned green Cadillac once owned by J.C.
Penny. After high school he enlisted in the Navy and served as an Electronics Technician during the Korean War, serving time on destroyers in the Pacific and Atlantic. He continued to play the sax in a Navy band, practicing on board in a closet, and formed a Navy jazz band in San Francisco.
Upon leaving the Navy, Jim took advantage of the G.I. Bill to attend college at the University of Chicago.
There he met the love of his life, Alice, a nursing student from Iowa, and they married in 1955. Daughter Darcie was born while they were still in Chicago. A job for Martin Marietta in presentations brought Jim back to Florida in 1958, and Orlando and later Maitland became their longtime home.
Sons Scott and Brian were born in Florida while Jim pursued his career and Alice went back to work in women’s health at Florida Hospital. In 1969 Jim left Martin and formed MacMahon Advertising, a company which he led until 1988 with a great group of colleagues, some of whom became lifelong friends. This was a time of tremendous growth in Orlando, and Jim and his company were involved in much of the action.
He even renamed Rattlesnake Lake (now Lake Eleanor). He served on many community and national boards, and had a personal life filled with family, great friends and wide-ranging interests. He became a pilot and used his plane for both business and pleasure.
His interests in writing and photography expanded beyond work to personal publications (all the kids were on the cover of Organic Gardening Magazine), eventually forming a company to publish Alice’s two books on women’s health. At home, Jim was an early adopter of organic gardening and loved working with his hands, especially woodworking, which in retirement he honed to a fine art and made beautiful furniture. Also a great cook, he mastered the art of sourdough bread and loved travel, good food and wine.
Always one for a laugh and a good story, his love of family and community was deep and fulfilling. Jim is survived by his wife Alice, daughter Darcie (David) and sons Scott (Peggy) and Brian (Caitlin), five grandchildren (Caitlin, Alyse, Ian, Emily, and Max) and two great-grandchildren (Vera and Amelia). Although missed terribly, Jim lives on in the love and good memories cherished by all.
Honor with Flowers In memory of James Plant a Living Memorial In memory of James.
