James Allen Machemehl

This is to convey the sad news that James “Jim” Allen Machemehl passed away at the age of 83 in Chandler, Arizona on February 27, 2026. Jim is survived by his wife Mary Doyle, stepson Tom Weber and his wife Karen and their children, his sister Rosemary Youngblood, nephews Hale and Reed Youngblood, and niece Pam Helmly.

Jim, (Jimmy to his family), was proud to have been born and raised in Houston, TX and he fondly and frequently recalled that time as fundamental to the rest of his life. He graduated from the University of Texas, Austin with a degree in Economics and graduate studies in Computer Science. After college, Jim began his career at Boeing Aircraft and continued with government contract work on both coasts. He ultimately settled in Marina Del Rey, CA and retired after over 30 years of service as a software manager at Raytheon (formerly Hughes Aircraft).

While Jim was working in El Segundo, CA he met Mary Doyle. Jim and Mary were married in 1989 in Santa Cruz, CA. With a shared love of travel they began a life of adventure together. Every year they were off to a new destination. They took multiple trips across Europe to Italy, France, England, Ireland, Germany, Spain, and many more destinations. They also spent extensive time traveling closer to home in the western US and northwest Canada.

Jim loved and was passionate about college football his entire life. When Mary went to work for Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, Washington, Jim became a fan of their football team, the Cougars (Cougs). He was thrilled to see them play in the Rose Bowl twice. He tracked his favorite WSU players and coaches when they left WSU. He continued to follow these coaches and players as they were always Cougs to him.

In the early 2000’s, Jim and Mary purchased a second home in Tempe, AZ which led to Jim taking up golf. Golf became a passion for Jim, leading to planning trips around playing at different golf courses. Jim would get up at all hours, even on vacation, to secure his preferred tee time. When Mary took a position at UCSC, Jim became a

regular with a group of golfers while living in Santa Cruz, CA and then after retiring, at Bear Creek in Chandler, AZ.

Jim was a kind, generous and thoughtful man. He had a curious and logical approach to life. He loved living on a golf course and walking in the neighborhood and chatting with neighbors and friends along the way.

Jim was a man of habit. He watched certain TV shows, ate certain foods from specific restaurants, and followed a daily schedule – in the morning he might head to McDonald’s for a bacon & cheese biscuit or to the local donut shop, then he drove to the golf course and walked 18-holes of golf (trying to finish in 3-hours or less), next he went to Winco or Costco or Goodwill, and lastly he stopped by the casino to play the slots, arriving back home around noon. This was Jim’s routine Monday through Friday for the past few years. It was also his routine on his last day with us all.

We will miss and love him always. We will cherish the memories he has left us with and the lessons we learned with and from him. Thank you, Jim, for being a part of our lives.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Jim's memory to the National Parks Conservation Association.