Timothy Ferris McMahon
On December 30, 2016 Tim McMahon spent the day with his wife and friends filling his room with love and sharing with each other laughter and stories of his endless adventures throughout the years. That evening he peacefully left the loving embrace of his wife Cindy and set off on a new adventure.
Tim was born on April 21, 1927, in Seattle, Washington, the son of Roy Gruwell and Catherine Ferris. At the age of 3 he, together with his mother, moved to Santa Barbara, attending local schools. At the completion of high school he joined the Army. Upon discharge he entered UCSB on the Riviera Campus, graduating in 1950, and entered law school at Hastings College of the Law. Tim began his law practice in Santa Barbara in 1954, served for 2 ½ years as the Judge of the Carpinteria-Montecito Justice Court and practiced law with Brelsford, McMahon & Butcher & Loberg. During his law career he served as President of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association and the Santa Barbara County Law Library Board of Trustees. He also served as a Special Master for the State Bar of California. Tim had a varied law practice and was best known for his uncompromising ethics, integrity, truthfulness, and his dedication to his clients. In 1997 the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors honored Tim and his brother Patrick by renaming the Santa Barbara County Law Library “The McMahon Law Library.”
At the age of 60 Tim retired and he and Cindy moved to the Santa Ynez Valley and began their life together. He restored antique farm tractors, reconnected with his friends at Midland School, had coffee with his buddies regularly, hiked with his Labradors, perfected his garden and considered himself the luckiest man alive to have such a life with Cindy in Santa Ynez.
Tim was the ultimate outdoorsman with hunting, fishing, scuba diving, camping, backpacking, motorcycle and bicycle riding adventures throughout his life. His many friends were fortunate in that he shared many of these loves with them by organizing group bike and camping trips. He cherished numerous hunting trips with his sons and friends, including several to Argentina.
His labradors and his home were the center of his life. He travelled several times a year to Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Arizona – his dogs and Cindy always accompanying him. His beloved Tule, a chocolate labrador of 12 years, followed him in death several days later.
He was a voracious reader. He consumed the New Yorker as soon as it arrived every week and decided at the age of 70 to read every Pulitzer Prize winning novel.
Tim is survived by his wife Cindy, his children, Timothy M. McMahon, Stephen P. McMahon and Catherine A. McMahon and his grandchildren Kimberly, Ryan, Natalie, Thomas, Megan, Chandler and Piper.
Tim was predeceased by his father Roy Gruwell, his step-father and mother Leo T. McMahon and Catherine (Kit) McMahon and his brother Patrick L. McMahon.
A Celebration of Tim’s life will be held on April 22, 2017, from 11:30 to 2:30 at Montanaro Farm, 2531 Grand Avenue, Los Olivos, California. RSVP to highlandmac@verizon.net