Edward Joseph McMahon

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Edward Joseph McMahon of Adams Street died Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at Saratoga Hospital. He was 84 years old. Born in Saratoga Springs on February 11, 1932, he was the son of Carl L. and Mary Cogan McMahon. He married Alice Jean Chink on October 12, 1957. Edward graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1950. He then graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hobart College in 1953 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from Albany Law School in 1956 as Valedictorian. In August of 1956, he entered the United States Army, serving two years and was honorably discharged in 1958. He then joined his father’s law firm with his brother John; forming McMahon and McMahon Law on Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs. He stayed with the firm until he retired in 1996 and remained a member of the N.Y.S. Bar Association until his death. For decades, he hosted Labor Day parties at his home where he conducted many family sing-alongs and St. Patrick’s Day soirees at the Principessa Elena Society with corned beef and cabbage. Ed began his love of gardening at Schrade’s Greenhouses on Nelson Avenue as a young boy and this love continued throughout his life. He created many beautiful pieces of woodcraft, cabinetry and furniture. He was an avid sports fan, especially horseracing and the New York Yankees. Edward was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Alice, his three sisters, Jean Coseo, Mary Reuss and Margaret Markes, as well as his long-term companion Constance Farone. He is survived by two children, Karen (Robert) Brackett of Gansevoort and James (Elizabeth) McMahon of Gaithersburg, Maryland; two grandchildren Robert (Carly) Brackett and Caroline McKenzie McMahon, and one great-grandchild, Lucy Ann Brackett. He is also survived by his brother, John McMahon of Saratoga Springs; two sisters: Elizabeth McCarthy of Saratoga Springs and Kathryn Coons of Schuylerville. Several nieces, nephews and cousins also survive. Edward (Webster) was a champion of education his entire life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Skidmore Early Childhood Center, 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866, where Ed’s great-granddaughter, Lucy, will attend preschool this fall. Please make checks payable to Skidmore College and include in the memo Skidmore Early Childhood Center. The family would like to express their appreciation to the Emergency Department at Saratoga Hospital and the staff at A3. Friends and relatives paid their respects on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016 at the William J. Burke and Sons/Bussing and Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs. A funeral home service was conducted on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016; burial with military honors followed in the family plot at St. Peter’s Cemetery, West Ave. in Saratoga Springs. Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefueralhome.com.