CINCINNATI — Coney Island was more than just a summer job for Cathy McMahon. It's where she worked, fell in love and raised her family. That's why she likened the amusement park's closure to losing a family member.
"I told you I wasn't going to cry, I'll try not to ... sorry," McMahon said. "It's devastation."
McMahon started as a lifeguard at Coney Island in 1980, teaching swim lessons for decades.
"I fell in love with the children, the people and my husband," McMahon said.
She met her husband, Tim, when he was also working as a lifeguard at the park. They married three years after meeting that first summer — and even had their wedding reception at Coney Island.
"He put us on the marquee when we got married," McMahon said.
McMahon said the couple's kids were at the park "every single day" from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Their two sons also worked as lifeguards for five years.
"Our dog was named Coney," she added.
Coney Island is so deeply ingrained in the McMahons' lives, they even have one of the original diving boards at the pool in their backyard.
"If you lined up 100 people here, we would all be saying the same thing, we'd all be struggling to find the right words, trying to let you know how heartbroken, devastated, just devastating," McMahon said. "I didn't think it would end."
Now, she said it's difficult to say goodbye to a place that's truly been her home.
"It's like a little town," she said. "It's like a little community ... it's just a sweet little community."
While she said it doesn't feel like she'll ever really get closure, she remembers the good times in photos, glassware and books — a snapshot of generations of families growing up at Coney Island.
"Coney, in itself, it's magic," said McMahon. "It was the magic. It's your happy place — you go down and the world is right."
