John S. “Jack” Mahall
August 14, 1939 – July 11, 2023
John Stephen Mahall passed away peacefully from Covid-related lung disease. His wife, Muriel; daughter, Meredith Ferino; son, Jon Mahall, and sister, Connie Hageman, were at his side. He is also survived by his brother Jeffrey Mahall (Susan); brother-in-law, Jim Hageman; daughter-in-law, Tracy Barton Mahall; former son-in-law, Randy Ferino; grandchildren: Kingsley Mahall, Harrison and Olive Ferino; a niece, several nephews and great nieces and nephews (in Texas, Colorado, and Ohio).
Almost 84 years ago, in Cleveland, OH, John (Jack) started his adventure-filled journey, the first of four children– Neal, Jeffrey and Connie. His parents were Cornelius and Adele Mahall. The children grew up bowling and working at Mahall’s 20 Lanes, Lakewood Ohio, founded by their grandfather almost 100 years ago. Besides bowling, Jack also enjoyed ice skating and later, skiing. His father was a private pilot, and became a flight trainer for the Navy during World War II, which may have stoked Jack’s passion for aviation.
As a teenager, Jack built and raced U-controlled model airplanes. In one competition in Cleveland, he was awarded ten hours of private flight instruction. This started his aviation career path.
In 1963, Jack graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and soon joined the United States Air Force. He graduated with honors from both Officer Training and Navigator schools. In a tactical troop carrier, Jack navigated all over the world. He spent twelve months in Vietnam and his “best vacation ever” was three weeks in Australia,” where he snow skied and attended a sports car race.
The ultimate goal was to be a pilot, so after six years, he left the Air Force where he felt “stuck” as a navigator. Jack moved to Sacramento and the Bay area to begin logging hours as a flight instructor.
In 1972, he settled in Sonoma County, becoming chief pilot of a start-up commuter airline, STOL Air Commuter, with routes from Santa Rosa to San Francisco. In Santa Rosa he met Muriel Ferrell. They married in 1975 and had two children, Meredith and Jon. The family moved to Cotati in 1986.
After STOL Air, Jack was chief pilot for a small freight airline, Western Star, which flew to Reno and Fresno. Then an opportunity to fly jet aircraft came with the freight company, IASCO, flying from San Francisco to Denver CO, and Columbus, OH. The next big break came with Evergreen International Airlines. He began flying the Falcon and six months later was in the captain’s seat of a Boeing 727. This position morphed into a career with United Parcel Service where he also flew the 757 and 767. He was a UPS captain for ten years then, after aging out of the captain’s seat, spent another ten years as a flight engineer on the Boeing 747.
In his spare time, Jack loved designing and building, so he transformed the Cotati home, a 1,700 square foot ranch, into a 2,700 square foot contemporary. A “Jack of all trades,” he did 90% of the work himself–sheet rock, plumbing, tile, hardwood floors, and electrical. Later, he landscaped the yard and built an 11,000 gallon koi pond. One neighbor used to call him “Mr. Winchester,” and would ask about how the “Cotati Mystery House” was coming along.
Jack also completed an 840 sq. foot garage and shop–a noisy, busy, happy place where he could hone his automotive skills.
He not only liked “fixing up” cars, but also loved making them go fast. In the mid-1960’s he started amateur sports car racing in an MGA. In 1973, in his 1960 Austin Healy Bug Eye Sprite he qualified for the Sports Car Club of America’s national finals at Road Atlanta, Georgia.
During the past 20 years he enjoyed Vintage Racing in his 1962 Lotus 7, in San Diego;
Monterey (Laguna Seca); Portland, Oregon; and Kent, Washington, to name a few.
For over 20 years, Jack, an avid snow skier, was active in the Santa Rosa Ski Club, where he and Muriel met many friends, and enjoyed ski trips to Alaska, Canada, Utah, Colorado and beyond. A high point was in February, 2020, at the age of 80, when he qualified to ski free at Alta Ski Area, Utah. Ski Club members were, of course, there to celebrate. His last trip to the Tahoe area was December 2022, where he skied and watched his grandchildren learning to ski.
Claiming to not be a “joiner,” Jack also joined the Petaluma Valley Athletic Club to play tennis and meet another wonderful group of friends. After the closure of PVAC, tennis moved to Magnolia Park, Rohnert Park, where, until this past March, he and “the guys” met up for weekly matches and camaraderie.
Among his many skills, was that of making wonderful travel plans–his very own travel agent. During retirement he and Muriel traveled to Canada, Mexico, much of the U.S., as well as Europe. Possibly his favorite trip , was a cruise from Athens, through the Greek Isles to Malta on a 5-masted windjammer.
Jack will be missed by friends, family and his wife of almost 48 years. It was an amazing, challenging and fun journey.
A Remembrance Celebration will be held in mid-October. Please contact a family member for details.
Published by Press Democrat on Aug. 13, 2023.
34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315ATo plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
