Judith "Judy" Ann Mcmahan

Born to Roy P. Raymer Sr. and Enza H. Raymer in Old Hickory, Tennessee, Judy McMahan graduated from DuPont High School and attended George Peabody College (now a part of Vanderbilt University) in Nashville, TN. Mrs. McMahan and her husband, Robert, moved to Atlanta in 1964 where they were blessed with two daughters and two grandsons. The mother, mentor and miracle worker who was admired for "loving and laughing" her way through a prolonged battle with cancer lost her fight on Thursday, December 31, 2015. The Cumming resident was 72.
Mrs. McMahan's boundless love for her community and desire to make the world a better, more humane place began in the 1970s when she served as a volunteer for the American Red Cross. Though she was not a doctor or a nurse, her decades of volunteerism on various medical boards made Mrs. McMahan more familiar with the inner workings of a hospital than most ordinary citizens.
Doing the right thing and raising the standard of health in her community was the driving force behind Mrs. McMahan's dedication to multiple healthcare organizations. In 1985, she was appointed to the DeKalb County Hospital Authority where she served for eleven years as a member and was named Chairperson of the Authority in 1990.
In that same year, she became the Founding Chairman of the DeKalb Medical Foundation where she remained a guiding light for 25 years. Mrs. McMahan's healthcare knowledge and insights also led to her appointment in 1992 to the board of directors of the DeKalb Medical Health System and its parent organization DeKalb Regional Health System. Serving as both a solo and joint Board Chair of the Foundation with her husband Robert, the couple's leadership and philanthropic investments have helped to create a climate of caring at DeKalb Medical and guide its growth from a small general hospital to one of Atlanta's largest and fastest growing health systems.
Wherever Judy saw a medical need, her optimism and inspiring spirit helped set her community into motion to make things happen. Never short on the courage or compassion needed to accomplish great things, Mrs. McMahan helped raise more than $32 million for medical advances and service enhancements at DeKalb Medical.
In 1997, she was invited to and accepted an invitation to join the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Hospital Association and later the Promina Health System Board of Directors. Mrs. McMahan also served as a board member of the American Heart Association; the Georgia Hospital Association's Board of Trustees, Georgia Agape and was a former Board Director for Premier Bank, now known as BB&T.
A devoted wife of 52 years, Mrs. McMahan loved to travel with her husband and grandchildren and was a faithful and active member in the North Atlanta Church of Christ. We will miss this extraordinary community leader and caring soul who believed life should be measured not by your own personal achievements but by your acts of altruism and service to others.
Judy is survived by her loving husband Bob, daughters Kellie and Alice, son-in-law Doug, two perfect grandsons Douglas and Chandler, sister Jean Chaffin (Curtis), brother Pat Raymer (Judy), sister-in-law Betty Ann Leath (Homer), cousin Emma Lucy Adams (Ernest), her best friend since birth Gail Scott (Boots) and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the DeKalb Medical Foundation at 2701 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30033 or Georgia Agape at 3094 Mercer University Dr., Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30341.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 11:00 am at the North Atlanta Church of Christ located at 5676 Roberts Drive in Dunwoody, GA. Visitation begins at 10:00 am. A. S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory.


Funeral Home:
A.S. Turner
2773 N. Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033