Obituary for Dennis Malcolm
“Take me home country roads, to the place I belong....” During the early hours of Christmas Eve, God reached to help one of his finest complete his journey home. So ended the worldly life of Denny Malcolm.
His journey began on August 25 1943 in Hastings, Michigan, when James Stanley Malcolm and Clara (Lenz) Malcolm gave birth to their fifth child. Little did the know of the impact his life would have on so many people, or how the stories he told would continue to be repeated 30-40 years later.
A rambunctious child, he dreamed of living the farm life forever. He went on to attend schools in Hastings (always with that big smile on his face). He graduated from Western Michigan University, got married, started a family and embarked on his teaching career for Lakeview School District.
Teaching became one of the loves of his life. To his students he became a teacher, friend, coach, mentor, advisor and sometimes mediator. He started every class with “free write” or his version of “Dear Abby”. This gave his students a chance to reach out, unload and air their differences. He read every paper and answered every question, still always wearing that smile.
During this period he remarried, and two little boys, Bryan and Bradley, came into his life. Within a year, a new baby, Meghan Margaret Malcolm was born. Meg ended up being his true little buddy.
After 30 years of teaching, advising, listening and coaching, he retired from Lakeview in 2000. He then began the hobby of yard work and gardening. It still wasn’t farm life with the pigs, big trucks and John Deere tractors, but he enjoyed it very much.
During his last year of teaching, he met his third wife Frances at Lakeview Middle School. They were happily married on August 29, 2002. With that infamous smile on his face, he took on the new title of “Denny-dad” and was a wonderful step-father to Fran’s four girls. His kindness and ever present wisdom
will be sorely missed.
He had to wear that big smile all of the time because becoming a part of a big Italian family and receiving 6 brothers / brothers-in-law and 6 sisters /sisters-in-law was quite daunting. He will always be loved and cherished by his large family.
Left to cherish his memory is his wife Frances (Wright), his sister, Julia Mead, his children Tammy (Shawn) Malcolm, Eric Malcolm, Elizabeth (David) Spence and Meghan Malcom, his stepdaughters Tina (Mike) Fleisher, Lisa (Jason) White, Dana Edwards, and Erin (Ben) Marcantel, his stepsons Bryan and Bradley Tutewiller, fourteen grandchildren, ten step grandchildren,and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He also leaves former spouses and friends, Paula (Chris) Malcolm, and Carol (Russ) Krause, many co-workers and friends, but most importantly his three closest and dearest life friends, Bill Dolezal, Ross Dingwall and John
Hagemann.
Per his wishes, there will be no funeral. A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date, when the sun is shining brightly and everything is green which was his favorite time of year. Denny’s wishes were “I would like family, friends and former students to get together and share stories....but only if they
want to”.....true Denny style.
The spirit of Denny is embodied in this quote “A simple smile. That's the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.” Dalai Lama
His journey began on August 25 1943 in Hastings, Michigan, when James Stanley Malcolm and Clara (Lenz) Malcolm gave birth to their fifth child. Little did the know of the impact his life would have on so many people, or how the stories he told would continue to be repeated 30-40 years later.
A rambunctious child, he dreamed of living the farm life forever. He went on to attend schools in Hastings (always with that big smile on his face). He graduated from Western Michigan University, got married, started a family and embarked on his teaching career for Lakeview School District.
Teaching became one of the loves of his life. To his students he became a teacher, friend, coach, mentor, advisor and sometimes mediator. He started every class with “free write” or his version of “Dear Abby”. This gave his students a chance to reach out, unload and air their differences. He read every paper and answered every question, still always wearing that smile.
During this period he remarried, and two little boys, Bryan and Bradley, came into his life. Within a year, a new baby, Meghan Margaret Malcolm was born. Meg ended up being his true little buddy.
After 30 years of teaching, advising, listening and coaching, he retired from Lakeview in 2000. He then began the hobby of yard work and gardening. It still wasn’t farm life with the pigs, big trucks and John Deere tractors, but he enjoyed it very much.
During his last year of teaching, he met his third wife Frances at Lakeview Middle School. They were happily married on August 29, 2002. With that infamous smile on his face, he took on the new title of “Denny-dad” and was a wonderful step-father to Fran’s four girls. His kindness and ever present wisdom
will be sorely missed.
He had to wear that big smile all of the time because becoming a part of a big Italian family and receiving 6 brothers / brothers-in-law and 6 sisters /sisters-in-law was quite daunting. He will always be loved and cherished by his large family.
Left to cherish his memory is his wife Frances (Wright), his sister, Julia Mead, his children Tammy (Shawn) Malcolm, Eric Malcolm, Elizabeth (David) Spence and Meghan Malcom, his stepdaughters Tina (Mike) Fleisher, Lisa (Jason) White, Dana Edwards, and Erin (Ben) Marcantel, his stepsons Bryan and Bradley Tutewiller, fourteen grandchildren, ten step grandchildren,and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He also leaves former spouses and friends, Paula (Chris) Malcolm, and Carol (Russ) Krause, many co-workers and friends, but most importantly his three closest and dearest life friends, Bill Dolezal, Ross Dingwall and John
Hagemann.
Per his wishes, there will be no funeral. A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date, when the sun is shining brightly and everything is green which was his favorite time of year. Denny’s wishes were “I would like family, friends and former students to get together and share stories....but only if they
want to”.....true Denny style.
The spirit of Denny is embodied in this quote “A simple smile. That's the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.” Dalai Lama