Robert “Bob” McMahan, of Houston, Texas passed away on Thursday, the 2nd of April 2026. He was 75 years of age. Bob was born on the 23rd of September 1950 in Nashville, Tennessee, to Margaret Cooper (Rhodes) and Warren McMahan, who have preceded him in death.
The family moved to Sheffield, Alabama, where he grew up and was a great athlete competing in various sports including football, baseball, track, and cross country. In 1970 and 1971, Bob attended the University of North Alabama, majoring in Business Administration and Management before matriculating to Auburn University in 1971. While at Auburn, he played football and joined the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, before graduating in 1974 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business (BBA Business / Marketing). After graduation, Bob moved to North Carolina in 1975, and then to Houston in 1976. From 1977 – 1980, he was with Eastmanwhipstock – BHI serving as the Middle East Marketing Manager, where his area of responsibility included the Middle East, particularly Tehran, Iran. He was the European Marketing Manager based in London / Aberdeen, United Kingdom. In 1980, Bob founded Gyrodata, Inc., holding the title of President & CEO for forty-three years. Bob was a visionary, a leader of men, a lover of people, and an incredible partner and father. He was the same man to every person he encountered, from a field hand to a waiter at a restaurant, to the CEO of a major oil company. He had a special appreciation for his employees and spent countless hours on the phone with them all over the world. Bob was gifted at putting his employees in situations that allowed them to rise in the ranks with the company. So much so that many of his middle management leadership were employees that Bob elevated from the field. Bob saw everyone as his equal and loved to share stories of the world. Not to mention, he loved telling jokes. On one occasion, Bob saw a need from the operations in the North Sea and determined to solve the need, pursuing a solution became his never ending journey, and he cherished almost every minute of it. He did not just study the market, he LIVED the market. No matter the stress of leading an international 1000 employee company, Bob always kept a positive outlook, a wry smile, and never once complained a bit. Bob was truly passionate about helping people meet their potential, as he was a man who had the audacity to take on the world to meet his potential. He always had an ear for anyone who wanted to talk about their life and their ambitions, being just as eager to help them reach those ambitions. Bob was loved by all, and as our Uncle Bill used to say, “especially by the girls.” Bringing his Alabama charm and Southern-ness with him as he journeyed around the world, he was the epitome of the quote “You can take the man out of Alabama, but you can’t take the Alabama out of the man.”
In addition to his parents, Bob was preceded in death by his brother, William McMahan; and a nephew, William Scott Platzer. Surviving him are his loving wife, Yvette (Cohen) McMahan; son, Warren McMahan; daughter, Meagan McMahan; grandson, Sebastiaan James McMahan; sister, Margaret Taylor; niece, Margaret Platzer; and grand-nieces, Sarah Platzer and Margaret Platzer; as well as his Gyrodata family whom he loved dearly, along with many other extended family and friends who will miss him greatly.
“His legacy is not just in what he built, but in the lives he shaped along the way.” This quote truly sums up the life that Bob lived and his legacy lives on.
A memorial service to celebrate Bob’s life was conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 23rd of April, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions in Bob’s memory may be directed to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or Wounded Warrior Project by visiting his online memorial at GeoHLewis.com and accessing the link under the ‘Donations’ section. While there, you may share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with his family by selecting the ‘Add a Memory’ icon in the ‘Show your support’ section.
