'Class Act:' Services Set For Bill McMahon Of Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — William J. McMahon Jr. helped make countless dreams a reality in Ocean City. Family remembers him for his honesty, integrity and way of seeing potential in employees they may not have seen in themselves. McMahon, 78, died June 26 after a brief battle with lung cancer.

McMahon was born in Philadelphia. He enjoyed a long career in the insurance industry. McMahon started in the mail room at General Accident in Philadelphia.

He always dreamed of living on the shore. On his 40th birthday in 1981, McMahon bought Chattin-Halliday Insurance Services in Ocean City with the blessing of his wife, Sandy. They changed the name to McMahon Agency Inc. in 1991.

"The McMahon Insurance Agency has delivered local service and expertise to Ocean City property owners for decades," Mayor Jay Gillian said in a statement. "Bill was truly a gentleman and class act in everything he did. When I started to get involved with the Chamber of Commerce, Bill was one of the first people to help me out, and he’s always been an inspiration and mentor."

One of McMahon's favorite aspects of the insurance industry was learning about each client's business and watching and helping their businesses grow, according to family. He loved helping customers insure their dream houses and hearing stories of their hard work.

McMahon served in many capacities at St. Augustine's Church. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 2560, past president of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, active in Marriage Encounter and teaching Pre-Cana and had served on the board of the Cape May County MUA, according to his obituary. He loved skiing, golfing, sailing and spending time with his family.

McMahon is survived by his loving wife of 53 years Sandy (nee Mary Sandra Bennis) and seven children: Colleen (Janalynn Jones), Maura (Robert Primus), Bridget (Tom Nealis), Billy (Anita), Michael (Danielle), Patrick (Kate) and Brian (Meghan) and 13 grandchildren: Conal, Ronan, Jake, Maggie, Fiona, Grace, Erin, Nora, Chloe, Cullen, Mairead, Claire and Diarmuid. He is also survived by his siblings, Joseph of Deerfield Beach, Florida; Margie Walker of Erie, Pennsylvania; and Mary of Newark, Delaware; and brother-in-law, Paul Marshall of Philadelphia, and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held Wednesday, July 3 at Saint Augustine's Roman Catholic Church (13th and Wesley Avenue). Viewing will take place from 9-11 a.m., followed by the funeral mass.

The McMahon Insurance Agency office will be closed Wednesday to celebrate Bill's life. They will reopen Monday, July 8.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to either For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation, 620 W. Germantown Pike, Suite 250, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 or Covenant House, 227 North So. Carolina Ave., Atlantic City, NJ 08401. Condolences can be left at https://godfreyfuneralhome.com/.

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