William Malarick

UNITES STATES AIR FORCE VETERAN

While waiting for him to wake from a surgery in which his eye had been removed due to cancer, the doctor advised us to be positive and speak about how healthy he looked. We waited, chatting nervously, wondering how we would ever avoid that large elephant in the room and then a voice came from the hospital bed asking, “Anybody got any one-eyed Jacks?” and we broke into laughter and tears that the man we loved as Bill showed us what thriving in the face of adversity with humor, grace and gratitude looked like.

It is with sadness and gratitude for the life of William G. Malarick that his loved ones share that he passed away on Saturday, August 21, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio after many years of battling multiple health conditions with the same grace and fortitude he faced his cancer those many years ago. Bill was born in New York, New York on August 26, 1939 to William and Helen Malarick. He loved his roots in the Northeast portion of the USA. Those roots gave him wings to explore the world through his service in the Air Force and through his work at Pan American Airlines, AT&T and other jobs. Bill loved airplanes and travel and food and sharing those loves with everyone he met. Strangers were a foreign concept to him and he connected easily with so many along his path. Bill had a strong faith and celebrated it in as many ways as he could and as often as he could within many Catholic parishes in Cincinnati, Crossroads Community Church, and others. His faith led him to be in service in the Greater Cincinnati Emmaus Community and Kairos prison ministry as well as an active member in the Knights of Columbus. A lover of music, he could often be found listening and singing to favorites such as Alison Kraus, bluegrass and maybe attempting to play guitar as well. Bill loved the outdoors, sailing, airplanes and travel. Time spent in his presence while he was doing or talking about any of those things would cause him to just light up. A favorite place of his to be was anywhere near the ocean or water. Bill was a lover of dogs and the most recent rescue, Lucy, misses him very much. Bill loved and was loved by any he met as the love he carried within him oozed out to all fortunate enough to be in its presence. To watch him with his beloved wife Bonnie Adams Malarick was to watch a Hallmark movie come to life. Their love story began later in life and grew for more than twenty years. When they married in November 2001, he was welcomed to the family by her parents Reed (deceased) and Peggy Adams, and her sons Bryan (Stacey), John and Todd (Stephanie) Moore. Bill was a loving older brother to Stephen (Charlene) Malarick and uncle to Christopher and Keith. He so loved being a cherished Papa to Mara, Jameson and Lincoln Moore.

Bill will be remembered as a lover of life, a joyous storyteller and a grateful human being. Though he faced many challenges with his health in the waning years of his life, it did not stop him from serving those around him with love and gratitude. Nor did it stop him from living to the fullest extent possible and sharing the love within him from his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His beloved family and numerous friends are forever grateful for the time they were blessed by his loving presence and are comforted believing that he is now standing tall and breathing easy.

A celebration of Bill’s life will take place at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 552 Main Street, Milford, Ohio 45150 on Saturday, August 28, 2021 beginning at 10am with Memorial Mass at 11am.

Donations can be made in his honor to:

Hospice of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 633597, Cincinnati, OH 45263-3597 https://hospiceofcincinnati.org/donate/

Kairos Prison Ministry https://www.kairosohio.org/