Honorable Retired Judge Francis X. Mahoney of Freeport died Friday, February 3, 2017. He is survived by brothers Johnny, Tommy and David who all live in the Boston area; his son, the Honorable Judge P Michael Mahoney (Cris) of Freeport; grandchildren Dan (Kim) and Tim Mahoney both of Freeport; and step grandchildren Jeff Pukacz (Michelle) of Bloomington and Julie MacAllister (Matt) of Sycamore.

He attended St John's Prep and Boston College before he enlisted in the Navy in 1943. He served in the Navy from 1943 to 1946. After his discharge he attended Northwestern University Law School on the GI Bill and received his Law Degree in October of 1948. He moved to Ashland, Wisconsin in 1948 and he began practicing law there. In 1951 he moved to Park Falls, Wisconsin to practice law with Arthur DeBarteleben. In 1955 he moved to Freeport, and in 1962 he formed a law partnership with Harold Nettles.

In 1964 he became a Public Defender in Stephenson County and in that same year he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. In 1971 his son P Michael Mahoney joined the firm and created Nettles, Mahoney and Mahoney. Judge Barry Anderson (retired) then joined the firm and Nettles, Mahoney and Anderson was formed. The firm is now Mahoney and Mahoney, and there has been a Mahoney in the firm for more than 60 years.

In 1978 Judge Mahoney was elected Circuit Judge of the 15 Judicial Circuit in Stephenson County, the first Democrat elected to public office in Stephenson county since the Civil War. He remained on the Bench for 14 years until he retired in 1991. Upon retirement he returned to the firm of Mahoney and Hauser and practiced law there for another 10 years before he fully retired in 2001. Services have been held.