James Brendan Malone, Sr.

MIDDLETON – James Brendan Malone, Sr., devoted husband, father and teacher, passed away on December 28th, 2020, at Beverly Hospital, from complications after contracting Covid-19 a week earlier. He was 94. At the time he was living in Danvers, Massachusetts, but was previously a longtime resident of Middleton, Massachusetts.

Jim was born at home in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 5th, 1926, the youngest of three sons of George and Katherine (Cleary) Malone. He graduated from Arlington High School and followed his two older brothers into military service during World War II, serving in the South Pacific in the U.S. Navy. His oldest brother, George, was killed in action in 1944. Brother Robert Malone passed away in 2016.

After the war, Jim attended Dartmouth College where he became a standout hockey player. He played in the first NCAA Men's Hockey Championship in 1948 when his Dartmouth team was defeated by the University of Michigan.

After graduation, Jim began his teaching career at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., and he eventually taught English for many years at Medford High School outside Boston. Jim volunteered for several years as a teacher for inmates in Essex County and was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the sheriff's department in 2004. He also tutored Latino immigrants in English for many years in Lawrence while earning a Masters Degree from Salem State University.

While teaching at Andover, Jim met and fell in love with Rosemary Sheehy of Lawrence, Mass. They had five children and remained married until her death in 1991.

Jim is survived by his five children:  son Jim, Jr. and his fiance, Mary Velthuis, of Rockville, Maryland, daughter Tracy Malone and husband Jonathan Gaffney, of Arlington, Virginia, son Thomas Malone of Arlington, Mass., son George Malone of Edgecomb, Maine, and son Christopher and wife Ronda, of Danvers, Mass.

In addition, Jim leaves behind grandchildren Casey, Heather, Andrew, Whitley, Kelly, Coury, Abigail and Matthew.

After he retired from teaching in 1987, Jim wrote freelance articles on a variety of topics for the Salem Evening News. He loved his family, sports, laughing, literature, learning about other people and life in Middleton.

Neighbors always knew they would get an enthusiastic wave or greeting, whether on one of his walks around town or if he was spotted cutting grass in his backyard with an old fashioned scythe.

Jim leaves behind a grieving and loving family as well as many friends who recall his passion for life, his kindness and his love of the poetry of Robert Frost.  He often liked to recite Frost's poems including the final lines of one of his favorites, 'The Road Not Taken.'

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

ARRANGEMENTS: At the request of the family all services are private. Assisting the family with the arrangements is O’Donnell – Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 167 Maple St., (Rte. 62) Danvers. To share a memory of offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.

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