Richard Wendell Maly

Richard Wendell (Dick) Maly died peacefully on March 13 in Sacramento at the age of 87.  Dick was born in Colorado Springs, CO on December 21, 1935, the fourth child and only son of Dr. Henry W. Maly and Ethyl Ryan Maly.  Raised in Colorado Springs, Dick played hockey and baseball and attended local public schools through junior high before going to boarding school at Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, WI.

Dick attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, studied business, and was a member of Chi Psi Fraternity.  He graduated in 1959 and relocated to San Francisco to work for Arthur Andersen. He earned an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.  Dick married his wife of 52 years, Mary Jo Fanning, on June 21, 1963 in Albuquerque. They resided in San Francisco, then in Burlingame for eleven years before moving to East Sacramento in 1975. 

Dick will be remembered for his wonderful, often dry, sense of humor, extensive collection of antique clocks, signature repp-stripe ties, love for British cars, and passion for sports.  Even after moving to Sacramento, Dick and Joey rarely missed a home Stanford football game, enjoying season tickets on the 50-yard line for 50 years.  Dick maintained a family membership at Sutter Lawn Tennis Club, where he served as President.

Dick appreciated the Jesuit education his father received and in turn provided him, and was grateful to have the opportunity to continue this tradition with his own son.  Dick’s Catholic faith anchored his life.  An active member of Sacred Heart Parish, he served as lector and gave time and talent to several committees over many years.  He looked forward to hearing Schola Cantorum on Sunday mornings.

Dick pursued a full career in financial management.  He worked for Boswell Shaw in San Francisco.  While living in Burlingame, Dick served as an officer in the California National Guard.  He moved his family from the Bay Area to establish the Sacramento office of Development & Resources Corporation.  Subsequently, Dick served as CFO of Sacramento Coca-Cola Bottling Company.  Though he never could bring himself to embrace “dress down Fridays,” Dick enjoyed a second career in the accounting group at SMUD, retiring just shy of his 80^th birthday.

Dick’s greatest joy was time spent with family and the friendships cultivated from every season of his life.  He especially enjoyed Fanning family reunions on Monterey Bay and gatherings of the Maly clan on Nantucket.  Perhaps his most adventuresome trip was an East Africa safari at the age of 80 with Beth and Ted and their families while Ted was based in Rwanda.

Dick is preceded in death by his parents; his wife; his three sisters and their husbands, Joan (Dr. Charles Bovard), Barbara (Stephen Madick), and Patricia (King Marshburn).  He  is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth Maly Lindgren, and her husband J. Stanley Lindgren of Radnor, PA, son Edward W. Maly and his wife Hilary E. Old of Brooklyn, NY, grandchildren John McDonough Lindgren, Anne Maly Lindgren, and Lansing Edward Maly, four nieces and five nephews.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sacred Heart Church, 1040 - 39th Street on Friday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m. with burial following at East Lawn Memorial Park, 4300 Folsom Boulevard. 

The family thanks Caregiver Carol Plecas for her gentle and compassionate care during Dick's final year. 

In lieu of flowers, friends may contribute to Schola Cantorum (scholacantorum.com), Jesuit High School (jesuithighschool.org), or a charity of choice.