Obituary of John Thomas Mahoney

Peacefully on March 8, John Mahoney, beloved husband of Lynne Mahoney passed away at the age of 79. John grew up in Saskatchewan, part of a large family. Always a prairie boy at heart, John travelled the world, taking with him his zany sense of humor, intellectual curiosity, kind heartedness, generosity, spontaneity, and competitive nature. In 1970, John ventured to Tanzania to begin a 30-year globetrotting career taking him to Africa, India and South America. John and Lynne explored the world, sharing their adventures with their daughter Kelly, son in law Jeff and eventually their only grandson, Connor. Always a favorite uncle, John was visited wherever he lived by many of his nieces and nephews for once in a lifetime adventures and memories. In 1978, John and Lynne bought property at Lake Malachi and over the next 7 years, built their dream cottage during their short summer vacations in Canada, hauling every board, nail and shingle off the train, into a boat and then uphill to the cottage site. They made lots of friends during this time and owed many, many favors as people helped the “newbies” to fit in and adapt to cottage country. After purchasing a house in Charleswood with Kelly’s family, John and Lynne split their retirement years between Lake Malachi and Puerto Escondido, Mexico. John loved his time at the lake, enjoying “sun downers” on the dock, watching lightning play across the water, exploring the back trails with Beau, picking blueberries, playing cards and darts in the dart palace - where he ruled supreme - with his many friends. He taught Connor to fish, drive the boat and ski but more importantly, to love lake life and the cottage. In the cold winters, John would head to Puerto, to enjoy the pristine beaches, listen to great music, eat fantastic food and spend quality time with family and friends – many from Malachi who learned to love Puerto as much as he did. Malachi is where John met many of his best friends – the generous people who would make John and Lynne’s time at the lake possible when John’s health began to decline. It was once said about John, “…there weren’t many rides at the circus that he didn’t go on.” Being chased by elephants in the lower Zambesi (“You only have to outrun the slowest person”), avoiding hippos on the Chongwe (“Beware the eye of the hippo”), being run over by a boat while scuba diving, surviving malaria - John was resilient and tough as nails. Some might consider John to be “…both the smartest and toughest guy at Malachi.” For many people, John was larger than life. He was extremely knowledgeable, could discuss almost any subject, always had an opinion, told a hell of a story, loved to laugh and was generous to a fault. For his family, he was our true north – balanced, smart, calm, witty – he gave the best advice and always, always, unconditional love. We miss you terribly but the values, memories and the love you gave us will be with us always. The family would like to express their utmost appreciation to the special caregivers at the Riverview Health Centre who gave John extraordinary care, and who made us - his family, feel supported and sustained – we consider you all friends. A Celebration of John’s Life will be held at Malachi Lake on the July long weekend where surrounded by the people and the nature he so loved, we will share memories, stories, and many laughs – just as John would have wanted.