George Leslie Malone

George Leslie Malone was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

George was born on January 20, 1917 at a Country Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho. His parents were Leslie and Lula Malone. George was raised in Twin Falls and Filer Idaho. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Malone household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, George was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. George was raised with three siblings. He had one younger brother, Everett and two younger sisters, Eleanor and Mildred. George was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. George and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but George was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, George was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. George developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. George liked to play baseball. In his spare time he liked working on cars and electronics. George's memorable achievements included working on a farm, raising crops, tending animals, milking cows and working on farm machinery. However, what George enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of George as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Filer High School in 1935. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was electronics. George was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. George always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but George handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, George was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. George was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served George well during his college experience. George did attend a Federal College campus in Oklahoma City run by the FAA. He took several courses and was considered to have a Bachelors degree in Electronics.

On March 9, 1941 George exchanged wedding vows with Bernice M. Fulmer. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment.

George brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. George was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. George was blessed with two, Joyce and Larry. They were also blessed with two grandsons, Steve and Danny.

George greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. George enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, George was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was as a electronic engineer. He was employed for KTFI radio in Idaho, the Army Signal Corp in the Army and worked for the CAA/FAA for 37 years. George worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

George was an Army veteran. He was in the in the Army Signal Corp in Ketchikan, Alaska during WWII. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, George seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

George liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, George always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were fishing, camping and odd jobs in the home and garden. George was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

George found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. Recreational sports included bowling. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, bowling, basketball and football.

George enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with George appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, George always had a back up plan ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included trips to the ocean, clam digging, camping trips, fishing and RV Travel.

George was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of George’s favorites was Crackers a dog and Bo a kitty cat. They were best friends. Crackers lived seven years and Bo10 years.

When George’s retirement finally arrived in 1979, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Seattle. In retirement, he found new pleasure in traveling, camping, fishing, home repair, gardening and as a caregiver. Even in retirement, George continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

George Leslie Malone passed away on September 26, 2011 at Highline Medical Center. He is survived by his children Joyce Tate and Larry Malone; grandchildren Steve, Danny and his wife Jesse, and great grandchild Abagail. Services were held at Yarington's Funeral Home in Seattle, Washington. George was laid to rest in Hillcrest Cemetery in Kent, Washington.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of George Leslie Malone. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.