Robert (Bob) Lee Mahoney Obituary (1926 - 2019)

Robert Lee Mahoney was born September 15, 1926 to Freda and Thomas Mahoney in Telluride, Colorado. He passed away on June 10th, 2019 in Placerville, California with his wife, Ruth, Granddaughter Debbie and son Dan at his side. Bob was one of six boys, Franklin, Dick, Jack, Bill and Pat, that lived through the depression and World War II in the small mining town. He built the first ski lift and won the first downhill race in Telluride. "Bob" leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Ruth. Bob raised four sons, Jerry, Mark, Tom and Dan, and was preceded in death by Tom. Bob and Ruth had Granddaughters Debbie, Kelly, and Sarah, Grandsons, Jarod, Mathew, Michael, Jerry, Jesse, Ryan and Sean. Grandson Michael also preceded him in death. Bob had numerous Great-grandchildren that gave him great joy. His last smile was when 2 year-old McKenzie, visiting him in the hospital, gave him a hug. Bob grew up in Telluride, Colorado into a family of miners and his father was the Sheriff. He joined the Navy at 17 and was a WWII veteran. Bob saw California on the way to the Pacific theater during WWII and vowed to return and make it his home. He returned and moved to Vallejo where he had a successful career working at Mare Island as a Nuclear Inspector. He was an avid outdoors-man where fishing, skiing, hunting, spear fishing and diving kept his family busy almost every weekend. He retired in the late 1970's and worked for himself as a backhoe operator. He and Ruth moved to Grizzly Flats, California in the early 1980's where he bought property, cut down trees and built them into a log cabin home. He became quite the story teller, including a story of how our Mahoney ancestor was brought to the New World by stowing away in a pickle barrel. Bob & Ruth lived on the mountain in the Sierras until a few weeks ago when recent health issues overcame him. Church services will be held on Friday, June 21, at St Patrick's Catholic Church in Placerville with a Rosary at 10:30 am followed by a Mass at 11:00 am. Internment will be Tuesday June 25, 2019 for close friends and family at the Sacramento Valley VA National Cemetery, 5810 Midway Road, Dixon, California.