In the early morning hours of Tuesday, August, 19 th , Linda Ann Marie McMahon, passed away peacefully, after a six year brave, hard-fought battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family and friends for the last few days of her life, sharing stories, laughs, and lots of love.
Linda was born on September 17 th , 1944, in Portland, Oregon, to Stephen and Christine Felix. She lived in Portland, Oregon until 1972, when she moved to Tillamook with her family.
When Linda was young, she was widowed after a brief marriage. She then purchased property with a blueberry orchard, where she supported herself and her new baby Jim by selling blueberries to Dole Fruit. She met Phil, they married joined their families on November 21st, 1969. Phil and Linda moved to Tillamook to start McMahon Heating and Sheet Metal (later renamed P & L Heating and Sheet Metal), where they built a thriving business until they retired in 2000. Phil ran the shop and Linda ran the office, she always said, “it worked because they didn’t pick off of each other’s blueberry bushes!”
Linda was an avid outdoors woman. She loved hunting both with a rifle and bow, clamming and crabbing, as well as river and deep-sea fishing. She and Phil spent countless hours on the river, in the bay and on the ocean in their dream boat the Molly Mack. One of the highlights of their adventures was fishing for 5 days in Alaska, where they came home with several coolers of fresh salmon. There were countless hours spent with the family putting up deer, elk and bear that she and Phil hunted. She also spent many days canning fruits, vegetables, pickles and jams. Linda enjoyed gardening and was proud to be a Master Gardener, learning about plants and working on projects.
She also raised chickens, ducks, pigs, cows and horses.
After retirement, Phil and Linda spent many years snow birding to California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico in their 5 th wheel. They also visited several national and state parks and loved camping locally with friends and family. Her favorite place to vacation was Mazatlan, and they spent many years at their timeshare enjoying the sun and sitting on the beach. She was always up for an adventure and enjoyed seeing new places and making new friends wherever she went.
Linda was unbelievably social, and loved hosting dinner parties, picnics and holiday parties. Telling stories and laughing together was her favorite way of enjoying time with her family and friends. She was a wonderful cook and loved to feed people. She never knew how to make a small meal. She was a fiercely competitive card player, and even in her later years won most of the time, often with an innocent look on her face leaving the loser wondering what just happened. Linda was an avid musician, perfecting her piano playing skills in her retirement. She was proud of her baby grand piano and also enjoyed her electric keyboard when they traveled. She loved to play for Phil daily while he napped on the couch.
Although Linda had many interests and adventures, her true passion in life was children and family. She considered herself a grandma to every child she encountered and had a special knack for making all children know they were loved. She firmly believed all children are a blessing and should be celebrated at all times. If you were lucky enough to be in her life, she was always your biggest fan and knew how to celebrate you like no other.
She was preceded in death by her husband and soul mate, Philip McMahon, both her parents, and brothers Jim and Larry Felix.
She is survived by her children Crystal McMahon (Dave Noble), James McMahon, and Shiela (Matthew) Zerngast; grandchildren Adrienne Hunter Wong (Avian Wong), Vance Hunter (Samantha Hecker), Marissa Zerngast, Ryley (Dakota) Hartzell, and Destiny Mendoza; great grandchildren Emi Wong, Abrianna and Jonas Hartzell; her bonus children and grandchildren Claire Jackson, Luke, Dustin and Whitney Bindreiff; and her beloved canine companion Winston, who never left her side.
The celebration of life, with a reception following, will be on Saturday, September 29 th at 11:00 am, at First Christian Church in Tillamook, at 2203 Fourth Street, Tillamook. The service will be livestreamed and recorded. Details can be found on the church website, at fcctillamook.org. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Tillamook K9 Rescue.
Linda will be remembered as a force of nature, unapologetically herself, and unstoppable in her love.