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| Jack McFadden June 14, 1948 - September 11, 2020 |
Jack began his fabled restaurant career at the Marshalton Inn. As a young man, he would often drive by the restaurant with his wife, saying, “I’m going to own that place someday.” And he did. In time, Jack became partners with the owner George Mershon. Together, they transformed the Inn’s stable into a second restaurant, The Oyster Bar (today known as the Four Dogs Tavern), and opened the outdoor patio for dining—a new concept for the area that became an instant hit.
Jack and George’s next adventure took them to West Chester, where a former shoe store on Gay Street became The Restaurant and The Bar (now Kildare’s). The impressively sized fish tank, along with outdoor dining and Sunday hours, made a big splash. The Restaurant and The Bar set the course for West Chester to become a major dining destination in Chester County.
Following the success of The Restaurant and The Bar, Jack headed to Chadds Ford, where he converted an old dairy barn into a charming restaurant called The Gables. After opening in 1997, it became “the place to go” before or after a visit to Longwood Gardens, The Brandywine River Museum, and other Chester County destinations. Celebrity sightings included Jennifer Aniston, Tug McGraw, and John Cleese, along with an endless array of other unique characters from all walks of life.
In his personal time, Jack enjoyed traveling the world with Yvonne—including countless trips to their much-adored France—and going on long hikes with their dog. His love for open space and the scenic Brandywine Valley prompted him to come up with the novel idea of a peddle-paddle-pace race, the Marshallon Triathlon, in 1973, to bring attention to the beauty of the Brandywine. It is now an annual event in Chester County that benefits the volunteer West Bradford Fire Company and the Marshalton Conservation Trust.
And, of course, there was golf. Jack was a longtime member of the Radley Run Country Club where he golfed “every day that ends with a ‘y’” with his “Radley Boys.”
Jack McFadden was a one-of-a-kind original. Always the life of the party, he was beloved for his creative talent, his quick (and often wicked) sense of humor, his gracious spirit and upbeat temperament, and his unapologetic joie de vivre. Jack lived life to the fullest, his unforgettable, infectious laughter echoing wherever he went, not to be soon forgotten.
~ Yvonne McFadden, John P. "Jack" McFadden obituary, September 14, 2020
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