Robert Lester Mallat, Jr. was born in Keene, NH on July 13, 1931, the son of the late Robert and Margaret (Sweeney) Mallat. He was a 1949 graduate of Keene High School and received a Bachelor of Education Degree from Keene State College in 1958.
He married Norma Morissette of Keene, in 1954, in Colorado Springs, CO, while serving in the United States Army as a Chaplain's Assistant. Robert taught math and government at Conant High School in Jaffrey, NH. He continued his passion for education when he joined Keene State College where he spent the next thirty years as Director of Physical Plant and Vice President of Resource Administration where he was instrumental in the expansion of the college campus. In his retirement he served eight years on the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees and four years as a Trustee for the Community College System of New Hampshire.
His lifelong dedication to community service began in 1960 as a Keene City Councilman. He served as Mayor of Keene from 1962-1966 during which time Keene was named the "The All American City". He was elected to the Governor's Council in 1964 and was a member of the NH House of Representatives from 1971-72. He served on the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Keene Planning Board, Keene Board of Education, and Trustee of Trust Funds. He was a communicant, an alter server, lector and Eucharistic minister at St. Bernard Church in Keene and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the Keene State College Alumni Association. He was a recipient of "Outstanding Young Man of the Year" award by the Keene Jaycees, "Man of the Year" award by the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce and the Community Service Award by the Rotary Club. Keene State College honored him with Alumni Achievement Award, 75th Anniversary Medallion, and the Sprague Drenan Award.
He is survived by three children, Mary Margaret Mallat and her husband, David Deck, of Tokyo, Japan, Dr. Ann Marie Mallat, of San Jose, CA, Robert L. Mallat, III of Keene, NH; grandchildren, Michael Deck, Andrew Deck, Shelby McKane, Annamarie Mallat; a brother, Lawrence Mallat and sister Margaret Lynch both of Keene; sisters-in-law, Marie Mallat and Ann Williams both of Keene, Ellen Morissette of El Dorado Hills, CA; brother-in-law, William Lynch of Keene; daughter-in-law, Nicole Mallat of Keene; along with many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Norma (Morissette) Mallat, brother, Richard Mallat, sister-in-law, Joan Mallat, and brother-in-law, Paul Morissette.
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 10:00AM in St. Bernard Church, 185 Main Street, Keene. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Main Street, Keene. Family and friends are invited to call on Wednesday evening from 5:00 to 7:00PM at the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Robert Mallat's memory to St. Joseph Regional School Scholarship Fund, 92 Wilson Street, Keene, NH 03431.
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