Colonel Howard E Malone, Jr. (Ret)

Funeral services for Colonel Howard E. Malone, Jr. (RET) will begin at 11:00 am Friday, October 18, 2019, at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Kyle Naylor officiating. Interment, with full military honors, will follow at 1:00 pm at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery, in Newton, MS at 1:00 pm. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements.

Colonel Malone, 87, of Marion, passed away Wednesday, October 9, 2019, at Bedford Care Center of Marion. He was born in Meridian on June 12, 1932 and grew up in Marion on the family strawberry farm. He graduated from Meridian High School in 1949, Meridian Junior College in 1951, and Mississippi State University in January 1954. He enlisted in the US Army in February 1954, and later completed Officer Candidate School, graduating in May 1955 as the Honor Graduate and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery.

COL Malone’s early duty stations included Seoul, Korea; Ft Bragg, NC; Ft Sill, OK; Ft Rucker, AL, and Ft Wolters, TX, where he graduated from Fixed-Wing and Helicopter Flight Schools, respectively. His first assignment as an Army aviator was in Stuttgart, Germany. COL Malone served with the 173 ^rd Assault Helicopter Company, Lai Khê, Republic of Vietnam in 1966-1967. As a senior aviator, he flew combat and combat support missions, receiving 25 Air Medal awards and accumulating over 1,000 flight hours during his tour of duty. Upon returning from Vietnam, he graduated from the Command and General Staff College at Ft Leavenworth, KS; served on the 5 ^th Army General Staff at Ft Sam Houston, TX; commanded a basic training battalion at Ft Polk, LA; worked as a senior investigator in the US Army Inspector General’s office in the Pentagon; and advised the XIII Corps Artillery Commanding General of the Utah National Guard in Salt Lake City.

COL Malone retired from active duty in August 1980, having served honorably for nearly 27 years. Some of the decorations he earned during his service include:

Master Army Aviator Badge

Silver Star Medal

Legion of Merit (with oak leaf cluster)

Distinguished Flying Cross

Bronze Star Medal

Air Medal (with valor device)

Vietnam Service Medal (with 2 bronze service stars)

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry (with silver service star)

Vietnam Campaign Medal

Valorous Unit Award

Retired Colonel Malone returned to his beloved hometown of Meridian and the family farm in Marion, where he began a lifetime of community service influencing and touching the lives of others.

He was a long-time member, Sunday School teacher, Deacon, and Deacon Emeritus of the First Baptist Church of Marion.  For years he participated in mission trips with Builders for Christ to construct church buildings all across the country.

In addition, he was Chairman of Volunteers for Love’s Kitchen, and served on the Board of Commissioners for the Lauderdale County Soil and Water Conservation District.  He was also an active member of the Okatibbee Creek Audubon Society.  On February 15, 2016, he was inducted into the Meridian Community College Hall of Fame.

Colonel Malone is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 64 years, Anne “Miss Anne” Watkins Malone; children, Mark Sidney Malone (Rochelle), Marvin Shawn Malone (Karin), and Kyle Douglas Malone; grandchildren, Marchelle Arcucci-Dedina (Marcello), 1LT Mason Malone, Paris Malone, Cooper Malone; and his beloved pet Yorkie, Lilly Rose, as well as a host of nieces, nephews and extended family.

Colonel Malone was preceded in death by his parents, Howard E. Malone, Sr. and Hilda Williams Malone; and his sisters, Edith Jeanette Malone and Sara Malone Haines.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the First Baptist Church of Marion, 5711 Clinton Street, Marion, MS, 39342.

Pallbearers will be Mr. Gene Kinard and Mark, Shawn, Kyle, Paris, and Cooper Malone.

Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at robertbarhamffh.com

The Malone family will receive friends from 9:00 am until service time Friday, October 18, 2019, at the funeral home.