John Radcliffe McMahon
Feb 23 1921/Apr 4 2017
Papa John, Jack, Paddy Mac, Krafty John took his last flight after a very amazing & long life. John was born in Belfast where he met his beloved Margaret Alice McAdam. They started their life journey together he at 14, she 13. They were later engaged then John joined the RAF in 1940 where he served with the 49th Squadron as a flight engineer on Lancaster Bombers. His plane was shot down February 2 1943, he remained the only survivor of his crew, parachuting safely to end up a POW in Stalag VIIIB on the Polish Russian border til the war was ending. He then survived the long and harrowing “death march” when so many perished. John married Alice in Belfast, emigrated to Canada in 1952 with 5 yr old daughter Margaret. The family, now with son Jim, lived in Edmonton, Vancouver, Kamloops, Prince George ending up in Nanaimo in 1958 until John’s retirement of his long career with Kraft Foods. He made friends everywhere while travelling selling his Kraft Products. He moved to SSI in 1995 where he was a long time familiar face at the Saturday market selling his book on his war memoirs “Almost a Lifetime”. He was a ray of sunshine to everyone who met and knew him. His sweet smile and glint in his eye will be dearly missed. John is predeceased by his wife Alice. Survived by daughter Maggie Smith (Ron), son Jim (Anne Garneau), grandson Darren MacRae (Angie) & great grand children Emma & Jackson, sister Kathleen (Billy) in Belfast. Extended family in the UK, N Ireland, USA, Australia, NZ. Many thanks to his incredible team, Dr. Beaver, the amazing loving staff at Greenwoods, the angels at Hospice. Celebration of life is Wed 19 Apr, 2 – 4:30pm upstairs @ The Royal Canadian Legion, 120 Blain Rd., SSI. Bring a story, a poem, a song, a smile. In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to the Greenwoods Foundation.