Mary Ann McMahon of Fort Smith, Ark. died August 28, 2024. She was born July 27, 1931 in Fort Smith to Sarino and Ouida Lovoi. She was an owner of Belle Point Beverages, Inc. and Belle Point Ranch. She was a faithful parishioner of Immaculate Conception Church her entire life, and was a dedicated member of the Immaculate Conception Ladies Auxiliary.
Mary Ann’s husband, David N. McMahon, Sr., preceded her in death in 2016. The family celebrated her 93rd birthday on July 27 with a lively party attended by family, friends and Brookfield residents, and celebrated 71 years of their parents’ marriage last week on August 22.
She is survived by four daughters: Mary Lynn Holland and husband Marvin Holland, Jr. of Branch, Kathleen McGuire and husband Tim McGuire of Fort Smith, Julie French and husband Steve French of Beaverton, Mich., Susan Taylor and husband Rick Taylor of Lavaca; one son David McMahon, Jr. and wife Tammy McMahon of Fort Smith. She was blessed with 11 grandchildren: Matthew Holland and wife Marie, Andrew Holland and fiancée Cordelia Hook, Kerri McMahon, Allyson McGuire, Kimberly McGuire, Timothy McGuire, Jr. and wife Abby McGuire, Claire Taylor Matlock and husband Phillip Matlock, Audrey Taylor, Christine Taylor, Madeline Taylor and fiancé Hank Phillips. Aaron McMahon preceded her in death.
Mary Ann especially loved her four great-grandchildren Roselynn Holland, Glendon Holland, Taylor Matlock and Owen Matlock, along with step-great-grandchildren Ethan and Emma Matlock and Asa Edwards.
The Rosary will be recited Wednesday, September 4 at 6 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Smith. Following the Rosary, the family will greet friends at the Immaculate Conception Church 4:12 Youth Building.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated Thursday, September 5 at 12:00 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. Live stream of the Mass will be available at the Immaculate Conception Church in Fort Smith Facebook page.
Friends are welcome to join the family in the Monsignor Galvin Parish Center after the funeral. Burial will be private at Calvary Cemetery, all under the direction Edwards Funeral Home.
Should you choose to honor Mary Ann’s memory with a contribution, the family has chosen projects important to her that will be impacted by your generosity: Immaculate Conception Church or School – www.icchurch.com; Mercy Health Foundation – Hospice Care: www.mercyhealthfoundation.net; and Angus Foundation – www.angus.org/foundation (please designate Youth Development).
Mary Ann Lovoi was raised at 405 S. 12th Street in Fort Smith, along with five Lovoi siblings. They were part of a wonderful Italian neighborhood, attended Immaculate Conception School and Church, and enjoyed growing up among many cousins and friends. Since their father, Sarino, had several businesses in downtown Fort Smith, the many attractions on Garrison Avenue were favorites of The Six.
Following St. Anne’s High School, Mary Ann attended the St. Edward School of Nursing and added “Registered Nurse” to her name. She worked mainly as a surgical nurse. One day while Mary Ann was working at St. Edward Hospital, she caught the eye of David McMahon who was visiting his mother. (David had met Mary Ann in Kindergarten at Immaculate Conception, and they attended school together until David moved to public school.) Fortunately for our family, the pair began dating and were married August 22, 1953.
Mary Ann and David were loving life partners and Mary Ann provided patience and full support for his passions in business and cattle breeding, as well as their dedication to raise a good family together. The McMahon’s Anheuser-Busch distributorship provided a family business and community involvement. David and Mary Ann began raising Angus cattle on their 40 acres in south Fort Smith, and Mary Ann – a 12th Street city girl – learned and loved being a farm wife and mother! She always said that nothing could top “beer and beef!”
Mary Ann raised five kids with loving lessons and sacrifices of precious time and extra effort, providing wonderful meals (especially suga and meatballs), a beautiful home and unmatched hospitality for our friends, and generous support for lots of other kids who needed mothering. The McMahon home was one where friends gathered and played, had fun cookouts and parties, watched airplanes and fireworks, and worked hard raising animals & other projects.
Mary Ann served our community working tirelessly for the Red Cross, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Angus youth and countless other acts of volunteerism. With five children in many activities, she served as a leader and organizer of Girl Scout campouts, fundraisers, 4-H Share-the-Fun skits and speeches, cattle shows, fairs, and IC church and school activities. The family traveled annually to cattle shows and events, and numerous “beer meetings.” Mary Ann performed in the Red Stocking Revue and helped start the legendary Immaculate Conception Spaghetti Dinner. She was always among the first to raise her hand when a need and “the why” was announced. She was creative, and thorough, and never failed to be sure good works were done right.
In 1975 the McMahons established Belle Point Ranch in Lavaca as a second family business. The ranch quickly grew to prominence in the Angus breed. Mary Ann took on the recordkeeping responsibilities of the cattle herd, and kept track of all breeding and calving information. Mary Ann even attended a cattleman’s school to learn artificial insemination, and often boasted that she held an unheard-of 100% conception rate breeding cows. The fact that she only bred one cow was immaterial, the cow had a calf = 100%.
The McMahon children were raised showing Angus cattle on the local, state and national levels, and Mary Ann found her dutiful assignment at the unpredictable back end of the animal – fluffing and teasing the switch of the calf’s tail for the show! “Doing tails” was her specialty – truly a gift – of which she was proud!
Mary Ann served alongside the lovely ladies of the IC Auxiliary who were her sisters in constant, faithful prayer. She was a dependable member of the Funeral Choir ministry. The Auxiliary’s Fall Bazaar was always a treasured end to the year-long work and fun. With intricate needlework, she prayed and stitched a Mother’s love into pristine baptismal gowns and crafted sweet baby dolls for young and old alike into huggable best friends that had names and personalities all their own. The spirit of God is in their handiwork!
Also in the Auxiliary’s ministry, Mary Ann served “the least of these” for 33 years as the administrator of the IC shut-ins list, making sure each home-bound person or nursing home resident had flowers on their birthday and paying for it herself, quietly and selflessly just because she believed it needed doing.
In her sixties, Mary Ann began writing poetry. Her poems included a variety of topics and ideas; they were sometimes clever and silly, and sometimes prayerful and poignant. A few special selections will be included in her funeral service.
She was the devoted family matriarch for us and “The 28” children of her siblings after they had passed. Mary Ann was a devoted participant at “Margarita Monday”, a weekly dinner gathering of Lovoi extended family and guests. She also loved “Lovoi Family Bowling” and was a popular “Strike Force” bowler! At age 85, she bowled 5 strikes in a game — & she wrote a poem about it!
The family is thankful for “The 12th St. Rag” – the family newsletter that Mary Ann and her sisters published. It provides connection to their parents and preserved their immigrant Italian heritage. Entertaining stories, photos and anecdotes of the family’s history document who we are, by knowing the people we come from.
Mary Ann enjoyed gardening and growing cucuzza and basilico (ask an Italian), and loved tending her “Sarino fig tree.” She was a very creative person who always had a new made-up joke, pun or invention to share. Her special lifelong gift was finding four-leaf clovers, a gift she has passed to several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Around 2018, a small Friday night dinner group with Nanny started. When it became necessary to change our ritual, Mary Ann began hosting “Friday Night Happy Hour” at her home, achieving a fun respite from the restrictions we all faced. The Happy Hour Crew looked forward to drinks and dinners with Nanny, and enjoyed fun on the back porch. Her creativity and hospitality triumphed, rewarding her family!
Mary Ann was repaid for her good works, love and service when she was cared for by the loving, capable and kind staff at Brookfield Senior Living in Fort Smith. Home Instead also provided personal care, and the love and friendships our family gained from all of these caregivers will be remembered and treasured. Mercy Hospice Care provided excellent support which we greatly appreciate.
Mary Ann’s hairdresser of 38 years, Anna Stutts, deserves special thanks for making house calls before the 93rd birthday party, and then for the complete beauty treatment our Mother enjoyed the day before she was moved to Mercy Hospice. Mary Ann felt beautiful and comforted by Anna’s compassionate care.
We also would like to honor and thank our friend, Tim Hess, for his thoughtfulness and expertise in assisting our family with arrangements and services for our Mother. It will be a challenge to repay his kindness in the same measure, but we will certainly try.
Our family will be forever grateful for the care and support that we received alongside our mother.
Loving her neighbor was truly Mary Ann’s mission. She served her family, church and community with humility and joy because she understood that in doing things for others she could serve God. She understood that’s the point. She lived it and she loved her life.
