Obituary of John Michael Malone

John Michael (Mike) Malone, devoted husband, father of three children, and “Dede” to six grandchildren, passed away in Versailles, Kentucky on August 15, 2021, at the age of 72 surrounded by his family.

The oldest of four children, Mike was born in Louisville, Kentucky to LTC Albert C. and Patricia Hoffmann Malone. He was an Army brat with his early years spanning from Long Beach, New York to Pacific Grove, California before moving to Heidelberg, Germany in 1951. Mike’s first language was German and he always enjoyed speaking in his original tongue, including by singing German polkas in the home (much to his family’s chagrin). After spending two-years attending Tampa Jesuit in Tampa, Florida, Mike graduated from American High School in Frankfurt, Germany in 1966 and attended University of Florida for both undergraduate (class of 1970) and law school (class of 1973). In Gainesville, Mike was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, active in national politics and an avid supporter of the football program. His commitment to their program never wavered with an orange and blue flag being raised each game day at the Malone home regardless of his state of residence.

Mike met his wife, Pamela A. Malone (née Connolly), in the fall of 1968 and the two were married on September 5, 1970. The couple moved to Orlando, Florida where they raised three children, Kevin Connolly, Kathleen Kelly and Sean Michael. In Orlando, Mike established himself as a successful attorney with a reputation of zealously advocating for his clients and delivering honest, unfiltered advice. Over the years he had a range of hobbies, from refereeing boxing matches, to supporting the Irish independence movement, to collecting Royal Dalton character jugs; however, in his free time, Mike enjoyed nothing more than spending time with his family. He had dinner with his family every night, coached their youth sports teams and attended nearly every game or school event. Mike and Pam also opened their home to their children’s friends and became second parents to many, providing some home cooking and sage advice as if they were members of the Malone family.

He was an outstanding orator, not only professionally but also in his personal life. Where others would encounter an awkward silence, Mike would see an opportunity to recount stories from his childhood in Europe, his days in Gainesville, his clients’ hijinks, or a tale from one of the books he was reading (typically more than one at a time). He could just as easily quote his favorite football coach, Steve Spurrier, as he could his favorite theologian, Thomas Merton.

After successfully beating cancer in 2011, Mike and Pam retired to Kentucky where he became “Dede” to six grandchildren, regaling them with his stories and training them to cheer for Florida on Saturdays.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Neal and his sister, Jane. He is survived by his wife, his three children, his sister, Julie, his niece, Emma and six grandchildren, Nathan, Caroline, Maddie, Halley, Charlotte, and Grace.

A funeral mass will be held at noon on Friday, August 20th, 2021 at St. Leo’s Church located at 295 Huntertown Rd., Versailles, KY 40383. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Taylor Manor at 300 Berry Ave., Versailles, KY 40383 or to St. Leo’s School at 255 Huntertown Rd., Versailles, KY 40383.