27.01.2021

William ‘Bill’ McKenna 1956 - 2021

We have received the sad news that William ‘Bill’ McKenna, of US crane and rigging supply company F&M Mafco has died. He passed away aged 64 on January 4th after having contracted the Covid-19 virus.
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Bill McKenna

Bill McKenna grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a family of four older brothers and a younger sister. His father Bill and maternal grandfather A.I. Friedmann had set up the F&M trading company in 1945, initially buying and selling just about any surplus materials put up for sale by the Department of War Assets. The company later merged with Mafco to create F&M Mafco. Bill Junior attended Elder high school, working a number of the usual teenage jobs including paperboy and filling station attendant and later a trainee mechanic working with his brothers at the family firm.

He formally joined the Mafco company in 1974 before it was consolidated with F&M and became chief operating officer in 2014, along the way playing a key role in building the company into what it is today. His many hobbies and interests included working on motorcycles, and riding out with wife Carole on a mission to find the perfect diner with the best cup of coffee, or the best fried chicken, or pie etc…as well as antiques.

Most of those who knew him personally have recount examples of how kind, generous, genuine and easy going he was.

“Deliberate and precise with his words, he was honest, clever, hilarious, and chock full of wit and wisdom with a knack for knowing the perfect place to drop a certain word.”

The company said: “Last Friday we laid to rest an amazing man. As an owner, the chief operating officer, and a one of a kind human being, Bill McKenna inspired us to do great things. His lasting legacy will forever energise us as we make our way forward. Bill’s wisdom from nearly 30 years ago still rings true. The only constant in life is change, in fact, to change is to grow. Here at F&M Mafco, that is exactly what we are doing — changing and growing.”
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Bill McKenna

He leaves behind his beloved wife of 43 years Carole and children Shannon, Kane, Kyle and Corey, along with six grandchildren, and is also survived by brothers Robert, Patrick, Daniel and Michael, and sister Mary.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or Elder high school.