Major General James Parker Maloney, U.S. Army Ret.

Major General James Parker Maloney (U.S Army Retired), 94, passed away on February 6, 2026. Jim was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to James Patrick Maloney and Kathleen Parker Maloney. Jim’s father was a career Army officer and growing up, Army life had his family; brother Thomas and sister Patricia, moving many times. On December 7, 1941, Jim and his family were attending Mass at Fort Monroe, Virginia, when the priest announced that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. As Jim said, this changed everything and the lives of all. He attended five grade schools and two high schools, to include Rusk Elementary and Austin High School in El Paso. He graduated from Balboa High in the Panama Canal Zone, attended Canal Zone Junior College, Columbia University in New York City and graduated from Texas Western College (TWC), now UTEP, receiving a B.S. in Civil Engineering and was the ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate. Later he received an M.S. in Mass Communications from Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He was a graduate of The Advanced Management Program from the University of Southern California, the Army War College and other Army schools. While attending TWC he met the love of his life Mariwyn Grace Blythe from El Paso. They were students together and were married upon his graduation in 1954 at the Center Chapel, Fort Bliss, Texas. His first duty station was Fort Bliss, and his last duty station was Fort Bliss serving as the Commanding General of the Air Defense Artillery Center and the Commandant of the Air Defense Artillery School. They lived in Quarters 302, the Commanding General’s quarters, across the street from the Center Chapel where they were married. They had come full circle.

In the thirty-one years Jim served the nation, his family of five moved twenty-six times. He served in South Vietnam, Korea, and Germany, ten years in command positions, ten years with the Army staff in the Pentagon, and eleven years in other staff assignments and schools. In his last assignment at the Pentagon, he served as Director of Weapon Systems having responsibility for all Army RDA programs, testifying before the Congress concerning these programs which included the “big five”: M-1 Tank, Apache Helicopter, Patriot Guided Missile System, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and the Blackhawk Helicopter. He concurrently served as Chief of the Army’s Space Program and was a member of the Military Liaison Committee to the Defense Nuclear Agency.

After retiring from the Army, Jim served as a Vice President of the El Paso Electric Company, manager of Raytheon Company’s El Paso operations, a military consultant, and manager of the Blythe Ranch, a family business. Among his awards are the Distinguished Service Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Combat Infantryman’s badge, Purple Heart, the Chief of Chaplains Order of Aaron and Hur, and the Senior Parachutist badge. He was the University of Texas at El Paso “Outstanding Ex-Student” in 1983 and in 2016 was inducted into the U.S. Army ROTC National Hall of Fame. In 2006 he was awarded the Christian Petrus Fox Citizen of the Year and honored at the Air Defense Artillery Tattoo at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

He was a founder and director of the United Bank of El Paso Del Norte. Jim was a member of the Rotary Club of El Paso; Association of the U.S. Army; Military Order of the Purple Heart; Military Order of the World Wars and the UTEP Alumni Academy of Civil Engineers. His community service included boards of the: El Paso Symphony Orchestra; Museum of Art; Keep El Paso Beautiful; Salvation Army; University of Texas at El Paso President’s Associates and Matrix Society; UTEP College of Science; El Paso Airport, and the State of Texas’ Military Preparedness Commission. He served on the Paisano Baptist Encampment board near Alpine, Texas and was a member of the First Baptist Church, El Paso.

He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Mariwyn Maloney, daughter Patricia Light (John), son James Maloney (Cristina), and son Michael Maloney (Diana), as well as seven grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. He was a man of strong faith, high morals, love of family and dedication to country.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Bartlett Skilled Nursing Rehabilitation Facility for their loving care to our father.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite charity.

A funeral service will be held at noon on February 17, 2026 at First Baptist Church, 805 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX 79902, with family greeting at 11:00 am.

Committal Service will take place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery, 5200 Fred Wilson Ave, Fort Bliss, Texas, 79906, on February 17, 2026, at 2:00 pm.