Bob Malone was born Dec. 10, 1935, in Long Beach, California, where his father was stationed on a ship, USS Medusa (AR-1), a Navy repair ship. The family (Dad, Mom and older sister Marilyn) lived in neighboring San Pedro (the port of Los Angeles) and lived there for the next ten years until WWII was over. San Pedro was a formative period in his life as the city had a very diverse population of Italians, Yugoslavs, Swedes, Mexican, typical of sea-faring cities. Neighbors on one side spoke Italian, on the other Spanish. Many of his boyhood friends were multi-lingual which gave Bob an early interest in languages. After the war began in Dec.1941, his father was gone for up to two years at a time. Neighbors who had local defense jobs adopted the family and became constant fixtures in Malone’s lives—the true definition of COMMUNITY! After the war in 1946 the Navy moved the family to a Navy base in Yorktown, Virginia, where they made up for long, earlier separations. Base living was fun and fruitful—fishing, oystering, clam digging, and crabbing. A young boy’s dream.
Returning to San Pedro on another ship assignment of his father, the family returned to San Pedro to reacquaint with our “community” friends. Next stop took the family to Newport, Rhode Island, as Bob entered high school. His Dad’s new ship changed homeports to the East coast. Newport was the icing on the cake for Bob as he found a large group of church friends, played basketball in the church league, and was in the high school marching band—drums, which he began playing in the San Pedro elementary school orchestra. The next move, only one year later, took the family to Istanbul, Turkey where Bob completed high school at Robert Academy and attended Robert College* for his first college year. There he put his early language exposure to good use as he was required to take Turkish and French among all the normal academic subjects. After finishing his first college year he was accepted to Duke University and left his parents in Istanbul to attend Duke. During orientation week, at a Presbyterian dinner for incoming students, he was seated across from Cynthia Virden. A friend introduced them. Cynthia looked at him oddly and said, “Are you from Turkey?” Bob replied, “Yes, are you from Newport?” She replied yes. Cynthia, whose father was also a Navy officer, had moved to Newport as the Malones left, and her closest friends were the same friends in Bob’s group a year earlier!! Coincidence?
Bob and Cynthia dated off and on during their time at Duke and graduated in 1957, both with BA degrees. Upon graduation Bob was commissioned an officer in the Navy and Cynthia went to Paris to work in the US Embassy. Following that Cynthia worked for the Senate in Washington, D.C. while Bob served on two different destroyers in the Atlantic. Always keeping in touch by Mail (snail in those days) they reconnected and were married in the Navy Chapel in DC in Mar. 1961. They moved to his new ship assignment in Norfolk where their first son, Stephen, was born. Shortly after his birth they were assigned to a Staff in Yokosuka, Japan where they lived on base. While there they studied Japanese, and taught English at a local community school. The next assignment took them to Monterey, California, for Engineering school where Bob received his BS in Mechanical Engineering. Son Frank was born in Monterey.
After Post Graduate school, Bob was assigned as Engineer officer of a new ship being built in Bremerton, Washington. After 2 years preparing the ship for duty, the ship, USS Jouett (DLG-29), was readied for duty and sent to San Diego. Charles and Marshall were born in San Diego, and Bob’s ship was readied for the Vietnam conflict. In 1971 Bob was assigned to Command USS Badger (DE-1071) again serving in Vietnam.
In his 21-year navy career he had two tours of duty in Washington, DC. Prior to an assignment to the Pentagon, Bob and Cynthia were sent to the Defense Language Institute for an immersion course in Spanish—in preparation for a position in Political-Military policy for Latin American navy matters. A second tour in Washington sent him to the Industrial College of the Armed Forces for a year’s study in resource management, from which he then was in policy development for naval officers at the Bureau of Personnel.
Bob’s awards in his naval service included 3 Navy Commendation Medals (one with Combat V) and the Bronze Star.
In Jun. 1978 Bob retired from the Navy to join his father in Malone Construction and in Commander Enterprise both in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Cynthia and Bob bought the real estate firm in 1981 and changed the name to Commander Realty, eventually joining the ERA franchise of which they were member for 30 years. Bob also became an Alabama licensed real estate instructor and taught real estate for 12 years. They built their Gulf Shores home on The Intracoastal Waterway where they raised their boys. In 2021, Bob and Cynthia moved to Seagrass Village of Gulf Shores, whereupon Frank and Jennifer bought the family home.
Bob lived in worked in Gulf Shores for 46 years, loving the communities that surrounded him, as well as his church - the First Presbyterian Church in Foley. In Gulf Shores Bob served on the City Council for 4 years, the planning commission for 7 years, and the Public Education Building Authority for nearly 20 years.
Bob was the pillar of the family, and his “family” extended well beyond blood kin, even though he had 17 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren (and another on the way!). His impact on individual lives as well as the community as a whole was immeasurable. Deeply rooted in faith and love, his language skills allowed him to serve the Hispanic community within the context of his church, and he continued to study the Spanish language until his last year. He served in church leadership, along with his wife, and was very active in a Logos ministry and 4th day group. He developed deep, long-lasting friendships, and everyone who knew him felt his love, his attention, and his kindness.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, William C. and Margaret E. Malone, his son, Stephen Malone and his loving wife Cynthia.
A celebration of Bob's life will be held on Sat., Jul. 27, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church of Foley, Alabama, at 10:00 a.m. A reception will be held at the church immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the First Presbyterian Church of Foley for the prayer/memorial garden.
