Obituary of Robert McMahon

Robert Edward McMahon (Bob) died as a result of injuries from a fall. He is survived by his 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. Bob was a native of Waukegan having been born and raised there. His mother, Ann Bukantis, arrived from Lithuania as a young girl and made her way to Waukegan, where she met the man she would marry and who would become Bob's father, Thomas McMahon. As life would have it, Bob's dad died right before the Great Depression when Bob was only 5 years old. Beginning as a young boy, Bob was rarely without a job, something instilled in him from experiencing the Depression. He worked delivering newspapers and washing cars during grade school and high school, after which he joined the U.S. Army where he was recruited into the military police. Upon discharge from the service, Bob was encouraged by a Captain of the Waukegan Police Department to apply there for a police officer position. As a new patrolman Bob was assigned to the overnight shift, and walked the beat on Genesee Street for several years, quickly proving himself to be "the fearless kid" as he was called by his superiors. What they did not know was that his fearlessness was a by-product of his innate ability to read people and situations, as well as his strong intuitive sense that served him well throughout his 27 years. His superior skills and no BS attitude resulted in his ultimate promotion to Chief of Detectives and Captain of the Police Department. Following his retirement from the police department at age 55, Bob transitioned to local politics and was elected for three four-year terms to Township Road Commissioner, a job that he thoroughly enjoyed. In his words, "who wouldn't have fun driving trucks and paving roads everyday?" Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Elaine Kraeger McMahon, with whom he shared his life for 42 years. Private funeral services were held for immediate family.