Walter W. McMahon Celebration of Life service announcement

CHAMPAIGN – A Celebration of Life in loving memory of Walter W. McMahon will take place at 3:00 PM Sunday, April 27, 2025 at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign, 309 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801. Instrumental music that Walter liked will be played before 3:00 PM as people are arriving. The service will be followed by a reception in Fellowship Hall at the church. The Rev. Beth Monhollen and Rev. Sally Fritsche will preside.

Memorials can be directed to the Carolyn and Walter McMahon Memorial Fund at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, or the YMCA of the University of Illinois- McMahon Democracy Fund.

 

Walter Wolcott McMahon, 96, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, in the company of family and close friends. He is survived by his four children and their spouses, Lynn Hanson (Michael), Vicki Avril-Groves (Marshall), Christopher McMahon (Katherine), and Jennifer Ellis (Jonathan), nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and four nieces/ nephews and their families. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 64 years, Carolyn McMahon (nee Reamon), who passed away in 2015 after a lifetime of adventures together.

Walter was born July 26th, 1928, in Clinton, Iowa. He grew up the only child of two schoolteachers, Walter B and Lucille McMahon, who instilled in him the value of education and the moral obligation to help others and strive to make the world a better place. While an undergraduate at the University of Iowa he joined ROTC, was president of the university YMCA, and met Carolyn; they were married in 1951. Shortly after starting his Master’s degree at the University of Iowa, he was called to serve in the Korean war. As a Lieutenant in the Infantry, he was badly wounded, treated at a MASH unit, and flown to Japan for a 7-month hospital recovery. He was discharged with a Purple Heart in 1952.

After Korea, he returned to graduate studies in Economics at the University of Iowa and the London School of Economics. Upon earning his PhD, he was hired in 1957 as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Aside from sabbaticals spent living abroad, he spent his entire professional career at the U of I. He cared deeply about the Economics department, the university, and the many lifelong friends that were also faculty or staff.

Walter’s work focused on human capital, including health economics, economic development, and the economics of education. The latter was his passion; he deeply believed that education is foundational to improving the lives of individuals and society, particularly in developing countries. Walter created economic models to measure the direct and indirect benefits of education to improve economic growth, investment, democratization, women’s rights, health, poverty, crime rates, and other key developmental goals. He consulted with the World Bank, USAID, UNICEF, UNESCO, foreign governments, and other groups to develop policies and plans to improve secondary education and economic planning in developing countries, such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal, and Thailand. He loved the travel but not so much the spicy local cuisine. Over his long and distinguished career, which continued unabated up to a year before his death, he published (or co-published) twelve books and over 80 book chapters and journal articles. He supervised dozens of PhD students, many of whom remained lifelong colleagues and friends.

He and Carolyn visited every corner of the globe. They spent every sabbatical year living and working abroad, including in London (London School of Economics), the University of Sussex, Paris (INSEE), Rotterdam (Erasmus University), and Stockholm (IESR). The school-aged children were brought along, which were formative experiences for them. Walt was a full-fledged anglophile, embracing his English and Scottish heritage and returning to the UK as often as he could to visit favorite locations and people. After Carolyn’s death, and up until early last year, Walt continued to travel in the company of friends and family.

Walt and Carolyn were very active members of the Urbana-Champaign community. Many local organizations and groups were important to them, especially the Unitarian-Universalist Church, the University YMCA, and the Champaign Symphony. In addition to the University community, many of their closest friendships were formed at the UU church, where the congregation has been an unwavering source of inspiration and love. Walt was involved with the YMCA his entire adult life, and he was proud of the work he did with the University Y, including his contribution in forming the McMahon Democracy Innovation Fund.

Walt loved to socialize. He and Carolyn got together regularly with friends for dinner parties, picnics, camping trips, and birthday parties. It pained Walt deeply to lose so many close friends over the years, but he continually made new ones. His sharp mind, kind heart, good humor and generous smile drew people to him. Up to the end, he greatly appreciated the kindness of friends that came to visit and talk.

He touched the lives of hundreds of people, often in life-changing ways. He went out of his way to assist people who needed a helping hand, whether it be help in finding them a job or lending them one of his red cars. He had a soft spot for animals, and the family always had pets, including dogs, cats, fish, a rat, a squirrel, and a horse. Walt was a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Family became increasingly important to him as he grew older, and it gave him great joy to welcome grandchildren and great-grandchildren to the family and to host extended family reunions every summer. He will be deeply missed.

There will be a private burial with immediate family, and a memorial service to be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in his name to the U of I YMCA McMahon Democracy Innovation Fund, the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign, or the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. Condolences may be offered at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com.