Born in Buffalo, New York in 1922 to Carl and Margaret “Pearl” McMahon, beginning as a three-year-old child, she sang and danced on the vaudeville stage and radio. Often performing with Viola Cranston at the original Shea’s, Palace and Erlanger Theaters, they were well-known in the Buffalo stage scene as the “Two Little Girls with the Big Voices.” She also worked alongside numerous national artists such as Abbott and Costello, who asked her to join them on a national vaudeville tour. Her love of music and dance continued throughout her life, and even in her final years could recall the words to every song she had ever performed.
Graduating from college at 17, she became a grammar-school teacher, who, during World War II, met an Illinois Coast Guard sailor, George Rimar. Love blossomed and marriage ensued. After George’s wartime service on the west coast, they moved back to Western New York, where George graduated from Canisius College and became a noted public accountant and a founding father of the Buffalo Sports Dinner, a prelude to the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Their union produced five children: Patrick, Kathleen, Eileen (Hettich), Brian, and Maureen. Jeanne would remark that since George gave the children their last name, she, as a McMahon, would choose their first names – all Irish.
After George’s death in 1987, Jeanne married Charles “Chuck” Hanny in 1990 and found a caring husband and an additional family to love in Chuck’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was faithful to her Catholicism and participated in many volunteer endeavors including The Bison Fund, teaching CCD, Right To Life efforts and acting as a member of the Bishop’s Lay Council. A long-time member of the Buffalo Athletic Club and Twentieth Century Club, she took pleasure in quiet activities such as reading, painting, decorating, and sewing clothes for herself and others as well as more socially active pursuits including book and stock clubs, world-wide travel, golf, tennis, entertaining and appreciating a good meal – especially with ice cream or one of her home-made pies.
Predeceased by her brother, local attorney, Neal McMahon, she is survived by her five children, sons-in-law Paul Hettich and Peter Mercer and daughters-in-law Kelly Rimar and Kathleen Vance, along with seven grandchildren Kathryn, Anne, Michael, Maura (Adam), Molly, Adam and Aaron, and eight great-grandchildren, Emma, Alexander, Bridget, Elizabeth, Colin, Edward, Theodore, and George.
Jeanne was a woman of quiet dignity with the capacity to be a lady in any circumstance. We miss you Mom. Rest in Peace.
Relatives and friends may visit the Perna, Dengler, Roberts Funeral Home, 1671 Maple Rd., Williamsville, NY 14221 on Friday (February 12, 2021) from 5-7PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Saturday (February 13, 2021) at 10AM at St. Aloysius Gonzaga RC Church, 157 Cleveland Dr., Cheektowaga, NY 14215. Please assemble at church. Interment to follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery. NYS COVID PROTOCOLS WILL BE ADHERED TO THROUGHOUT.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Schofield Care or Connect Life.
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