Jason McMenamy

On January 23, 1970, Eric Jason McMenamy came into the world, eight plus pounds of sweetness and innocence, the third and last child for Betty and Larry McMenamy. Jason joined older brothers Kevin and Michael at home in Plano and quickly became his brother’s favorite toy to play with. He was still a toddler when the family moved to Parker and began their life in a more laid-back lifestyle where all the homes had 2-acre yards. That spacious neighborhood and the long driveway allowed him to spend tons of time outside, whether he was riding his tricycle or bouncing around trying to keep up with these brothers. Michael and Jason were barely 2 years apart, so in many ways they grew up as twins, playing soccer, riding go karts and motocross bikes and motorcycles as they grew into their teens. The land across the street was seventy acres and open for most of the 1970's which allowed infinite places to ride and to get into trouble.

When Jason turned 16, he started working at Drugs for Less, a drugstore in Plano that was kind of a more spacious version of a CVS or Walgreens with more of a Mom and Pop feel to it. He quickly developed a work ethic that would serve him well through the rest of his working career. Of course, to be expected, teenage boy with a little money in his pocket meant it was time to spend it all on a car. So with his Dad's help he managed to get himself a 17-year-old car. Except it happened to be a 69 Camaro, so he did not seem to mind much. Between work, school and that car, he did not have much spare time to speak of, but during that time he also started dating a fellow 10th grader at Williams High School named Renee. Little did they know they would spend the next 39 years together.

Jason soon moved to Drug Emporium in Plano, another larger sized pharmacy and drug store. Jason and Renee continued to date as they graduated from Plano East High School in 1988 which allowed Jason to spend more time working as well as tinkering with his car. Then, in early 1989 Jason and Renee found out that their free time would soon be a distant memory. Michelle, their first child, came along in late August of that year and two young lives were changed forever, but in a wonderful and loving way. Michelle demanded and received time and affection and both Jason and Renee delivered it. Later in May of 1990, Renee and Jason married in front of their parents, family, and friends at an old church in Parker. They soon moved from their apartment in Plano to a house with a big backyard when Michelle was 3. They could not believe it, only 22 years old and they were doing grown-up things.

During the early 1990's, before they had even become homeowners. Jason had started doing something that so many of his friends he made later in his life knew him for above everything else--even though he was working full time at Drug Emporium, he started hauling pallets in his truck (yes, no more Camaro) to make extra money. The different Drug Emporium stores would save their pallets in the back room for Jason, he would go pick up 15 or 20 at a time, then haul 150 to Balch Springs every Saturday to make some extra money. Life became a little easier.

In April of 1995, a baby boy named Eric came along to give Michelle a little brother. Eric was a sweet baby and absolutely worshipped his big sister as well as his Mom and Dad. He would ride with Jason at times to pick up pallets and sit in the truck while his Dad tossed them into the back of the truck. Every Dad wants a little boy and Jason had his. Both Eric and his big sister were loved unconditionally by Jason, there was never a doubt, despite his work schedule and pallet hauling that his life was for his two kids.

Much to Michelle's delight, the third child that came along in November of 1999 was a little boy named Robert. Michelle was always quite proud of being the only girl of five grandkids of her Dad's parents. Robert was also sweet and shadowed everything his Dad ever did, hauling pallets, helping him tie them down on the trailer when he was only 9 or 10 years old, he was pallet obsessed. Finally, Jason and Renee had their family of five and their hands full.

They spent time hauling the three to T-ball, soccer, Grandma's or Nana's house, and the occasional vacation. Time is a premium with three kids. Around this time someone gave Jason an old neon sign and that started a collection that eventually went into the hundreds. He had also spent a ton of time as a 12-year-old playing arcade games like Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and dozens of others. One day he came across an old arcade game that still worked and entered another piece to be to be added to the collection, when possible.

In July of 2001 Jason started working at Sam’s Club in Plano on Spring Creek. This was a life-changing decision for him, not because of the work, not because of the pay, but because of the dozens of coworkers that became friends that he treasured. It is one thing to collect neon signs or video games. It is an entirely more meaningful thing in life to have so many people that care about you. He found that at Sam's. As he moved into his thirties and forties, it meant the world to him.

As the years rolled by and Renee and Jason's kids grew into teenagers, Jason kept working at Sam's and hauling pallets and scrap metal. Anything he could pick up for free and sell was fair game, and it gave him some spare money and a chance to stay constantly busy. Staying busy was something he loved from that first day at Drugs for Less decades before. That was something all of Jason's friends and family knew--Jason had a work ethic like very few. He had been going non-stop since he turned sixteen and had no regrets about how he lived his life.

The years since 2020 began had brought both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows to Jason and his family. In January of 2020 he lost his father-in-law Clyde, who had been like a second father to him since he had started dating Renee 34 years before. Clyde and Renee's Mom Nancy had helped Jason and Renee in many ways, especially as their kids came along, and Jason was truly crushed by this loss. Covid worked its way through the country and things finally started to get back to normal in 2021. Eric married his beautiful wife Ashley in October and in early 2022 Jason had the honor of his first grandchild, a little boy named Jaxon who called him Grandpa.

The year of 2023 brought more work, more pallet hauling and more of Jason just living his life. In December of that year, he lost his Mom, and just weeks later in early 2024 he lost his Dad. Life had changed forever. The family managed to hold things together and kept loving and caring about each other. Another little boy came along in September, named after the city, where Jason had grown up--Parker. Two little grandbabies made life better and happier.

In November of 2024, Jason felt like something was not right--he felt sick sometimes when he ate and he started to lose weight because he found himself eating less and less. Finally he went to the doctor, and we all found out what was wrong. Jason started chemotherapy in early 2025 and was relentless in trying to fight this battle. Many of his friends showed up in Fair Park for a pancreatic cancer walk to raise money and awareness for this terrible disease. We all had such hope and belief that he would be able to keep going and that he was indestructible like he had always been. That the cancer would shrink and could be removed, that he could get on with showing up at Sam's every day and keep hauling pallets. It's what we all wanted.

In July things started to change in the worst possible way and Jason, already in depleted condition from twelve chemotherapy treatments, had to go to the hospital. Things kept getting worse and he was admitted to the ICU. Despite his fighting, despite his excellent care and despite his family’s unending love, we lost Jason on August 31. It was such a rapid and heartbreaking decline from where he was months before. We are all broken because he is no longer with us. It has left an emptiness that will linger as we try to hold together once again. Things will be different in our family; things will be different at Sam's. The endless visits from so many people he worked with, who came to the ICU smiling and left in tears, will live with us forever, and show how many people loved Jason dearly. He was a special person, and he will be missed always.

Jason McMenamy lived quite a life between January 23, 1970, and the early morning that he left us on August 31. He was loved, and he always will be remembered by everyone he ever met. He was preceded in death by his loving parents, Larry and Betty McMenamy, father-in-law Clyde Monette and brother-in-law Robert Rohrbach. He leaves behind his loving wife of 35 years, Renee, their three children--Michelle, Eric (wife Ashley), and Robert, along with precious grandsons Jaxon and Parker. Also surviving are brothers Kevin and Michael (wife Marisol) and nephews Ethan and Nicholas McMenamy. Finally, there are his many friends and coworkers over the years, which are far too numerous to mention. We will all miss Jason, a wonderful husband, father, son, and friend. His time with us was far too short, but we took some solace that he knew he was loved so much by everyone that knew him.

A visitation for Jason will be held Thursday, September 4, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Ted Dickey Funeral Home, 2128 18th Street, Plano, TX 75074. A funeral will occur Friday, September 5, 2025 at 10:00 AM, 2128 18th Street, Plano, TX 75074. A committal will occur Friday, September 5, 2025 at 11:15 AM at Plano Mutual Cemetery, 2128 18th St, Plano, TX 75074.