Robert James Malloy
1954 - 2024
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Bill Malloy posted a condolence
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Before I talk about my relationship with my brother Bob, I want to thank Janice for looking after my little brother. Janice, you were such a strong advocate for Bob. You made sure that Bob’s every need was met. Your primary objectives were to get his pain under control, keep him hydrated and to never let him be alone both at home and near the end at the hospice. You did that and I will always love you, with all of my heart, for the care you gave to Bob.
Each of us here has different memories of Bob. You met him at different periods in his life. He was brother, cousin, husband, brother-in-law, father, uncle, friend, father-in-law, employee, co-worker, neighbour.
Bob is my younger brother.
I am the oldest in our family. Three years of age separate each of us - Marie (who died in 2008, also from cancer), Bob and Patti. Bob and I shared a bedroom as youngsters. Marie and Patti shared the 3rd bedroom. When we were little kids, the six years in age difference seemed huge at the time. I have a vague memory of our shared bedroom filling up with quite a collection of toy cars and trucks and models by the shelf full. When I eventually moved to a bedroom that was created in the basement, the car and truck collection remained with Bob.
When we were a little older, I had a paper route and Bob would often tag along with me, his little legs pumping madly on his smaller bicycle to keep up with me. Eventually I passed along the paper route to him as well as my bigger bicycle with the large black metal paper carrier mounted on the front handlebars. My customers already knew him so it was an easy transition.
By the time Bob started working after high school, I had long left Sarnia and had been married to Jane for 3 years and was living in Brampton. Our lives and careers took different paths.
We both however loved a good road trip whether by car, camper, bus or motorcycle.
Bob always had a motorcycle. He always thought I should have one too, but I just never got around to getting one.
That is until 2012 - six years after I retired from teaching I bought a 650 Kawasaki adventure styled motorcycle. Bob’s eyes lit up when he found out!
He had recently upgraded to the Harley Davidson Sporster that is parked in the funeral home lobby today. He bought that size of motorcycle so he could keep up on the rides with Brad Schneider and the boys and girls from the Klondike Trailer Park in Grand Bend.
In 2012, I had only just started riding that spring but Bob thought, what better way to introduce me to riding, than a ride to Port Dover on July 13, a Friday.
The plan was to meet at Bob’s place in Kitchener on Thursday night. Frank Lawhorn, Patti’s husband, rode from Sarnia on his Harley. I rode my Kawasaki from Sarnia over to Fergus to join my son Matthew who had a much larger and more powerful Kawasaki and the pair of us rode over to Kitchener. That night we watched the movie “Wild Hogs” as a prep for the ride. We left early Friday morning. My son Adam brought the kids to wave us off to Port Dover - with Bob leading the way to join 250 000 other bikers that day. An unprecedented number of bikers on that warm July day made the trip to Port Dover that day.
I WAS TERRIFIED - but Bob couldn’t keep the grin off of his face.
I quickly learned that when Bob was on a motorcycle he had two speeds - fast and then faster.
You may have seen the framed picture that has been put in display here, of the four of us, in a calmer moment, taken the following year sitting and standing around a stone table monument depicting a tea service setting, taken in the Collingwood area.
Bob didn’t like carrying a cell phone on our trips. It used to drive me crazy especially with him tearing off ahead of us. What if we got separated? Bob’s response was: “Not to worry, we’ll meet up eventually.”
He did finally concede to bringing Janice’s cell phone on our trip to Manitoulin Island. On that trip we were down to three riders: Bob, Matthew and myself. I had upgraded to a larger engined trike in an effort to keep up with the both of them. On that trip, Matthew noticed that Bob had a screw in his tire. Bob was completely unfazed. He remained equally unfazed when we discovered a second screw - in the same tire!
Bob’s response: “The tire isn’t losing any air. Let’s keep going.” And we did.
Bob tended to travel light on these multi-day trips - usually one pair of pants and no real rain gear. Our trip to Ottawa and up through the Ottawa Valley and Algonquin Park the next year was particularly wet. Bob could be innovative - to a point. On that trip, after riding for 3 hours in heavy rain, by the time we arrived at our pre-booked hotel stop, he and Matthew - who also had no rain gear - were beyond being just wet. Both of them stood at the hotel front desk, dripping, with puddles of water forming at their feet. Bob’s solution to drying out was to put his socks in the microwave in his room and dry his pants using the room’s hand hair dryer - which worked fine - briefly - until he blew the whole electrical circuit in his room.
By 2018, we were down to just the two of us on these summer trips. Bob planned out our first venture into the US. Patti thought that might be a bad idea to have Bob do the planning. But what could go wrong?
The destination was York, Pennsylvania and the Harley motorcycle assembly plant. I generally don’t ride 400 series highways but Bob charted a course using US interstate highways - ten and a half hours of straight riding on interstates for a 45 minute factory tour! Bob was very much a destination type of rider. Stopping to take in the view was not always part of the plan. As it happened a group of seasoned Harley riders that we met waiting for the tour to start, mentioned they never took interstate highways and stuck mainly to two lane State highways. My ears perked up and Bob was moved enough to cancel the pre booked hotels and rebooked stops along State highways. We toured 5 US states - still riding 10 hour days - but at a slightly slower pace so we could take in more of the scenery.
In 2019, on our tour through northern Michigan and northern Ontario, Bob blew me away when started to recite line after line from Hamlet - from memory - as we sat on a patio looking over the lake. Where did that come from?
In 2020 COVID cancelled our plans for a trip through Quebec.
I treasure the memory of those rides together - the joking, the laughing , the camaraderie. It was a bonus to ride with Matthew and Frank. What a hoot for Matthew to ride with his uncles and his father.
Bob stretched me well beyond my normal comfort level. Bob wasn’t a daredevil by nature but on a motorcycle he was built for speed. He was no longer my little brother. He became my brother who was a bit younger.
This summer of 2024 has been like no other for all of us here who knew Bob. Who would ever imagine that his first couple of jobs from 50 years ago would result in such a shocking and sudden end.
Bi-phasic mesothelioma.
Bob called it Meslo - perhaps in an effort to make it more manageable - to make it seem smaller than it was.
Bob was humbled by people’s response to his diagnosis in August. He said, “ I didn’t realize how many people cared about me.”
Really - we loved him.
For you younger people here - know that Bob is part of an older order that is passing away. You can’t stop these transitions but you can spread your love to the older ones around you, by a single heart emoji in a text - a one line email - a pot of soup - a plate of cookies or Rice Krispie squares - anything that passes on the love you want to express.
Bob was never bitter - but it did suck - and he was saddened by what was happening to him. Throughout it all he continually said “It is what it is.”
His acceptance of his new reality was almost welcoming for anyone who came to see him. I found that to be particularly so when I watched the young palliative nurses interact with him as they cared for him in Plattsville. He reacted to them as family and they seemed to respond to him in the same way.
He continually said he had no regrets about his life. One of his proudest accomplishments was being the father of Kyle. He was content in knowing that Kyle was secure in his chosen career and that he had such an awesome life partner in Tina. He also knew Kyle would always be there to support his mom. it was also a relief to him that Brad and Sheila were and will continue to be such a support for Janice.
So now, in the end, he has gone off ahead of us again. He has reached a new destination - and we will follow along in our own time. Eventually, we will catch up.
Farewell little brother…I’ll see you down the road.
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Brenda and Gary Demeuleneare pledged to donate to HOSPICE WATERLOO REGION
Sunday, October 27, 2024
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Laura Smolen posted a condolence
Sunday, October 27, 2024
My heart goes out to this lovely family.
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Shelley Armstrong donated to Hospice Waterloo Region
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Love you, Theodore
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Brenda Lord donated to Hospice Waterloo Region
Saturday, October 26, 2024
All our love, The Lord Family
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Talar, Marie, and Arsen Vanes pledged to donate to HOSPICE WATERLOO REGION
Saturday, October 26, 2024
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Tina Doucette donated to Hospice Waterloo Region
Friday, October 25, 2024
Janice, Kyle and Tina, we will never forget Bob, his infectious laugh and smiles and his eye gestures lit up every room he was in. We are so lucky to have Bob as a close friend.
With all our love,
Tina, Nurse Brian, Heidi and Mom (Doris)
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Victor villeneuve posted a condolence
Friday, October 25, 2024
My condolences to the Malloy family hung around with Bob back in the day when they lived on Massey crescent and I lived on Vimy
Had lots of fun
RIP Bob you were a fun guy to hang out with
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Cheryl Simpson posted a condolence
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Dear Pat,Frank and Family. I am so sorry for this huge loss!!! I am thinking about all of you as you go through this transition.
Love Cheryl
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Mary Anne Lenio donated to Hospice Waterloo Region
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Our Sincere Condolences to Janice,Kyle & Tina. Grateful for friendship and kindness Bob offered
Lucy.
Mary Anne and the Lenio family
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Mary and Pat Hurley donated to Hospice Waterloo Region
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Pat and I send our condolences to Janice and Kyle as well as Bill and Family and Pat. Bob will be missed.
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Joanne Dunn posted a condolence
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
I am very sorry for your loss. Sincere condolences to the remaining Malloy’s xo
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Harmanpreet Kaur lit a candle
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
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I am so sorry for your loss. Keeping you in my thoughts & prayers during this difficult time, Janice!.
Love,
Preet
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Lynann McNulty lit a candle
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
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I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you and your family. Love Lyn
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Brenda Demeuleneare lit a candle
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
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Thinking of you and your family at this difficult time.
The Demeuleneare Family
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MICHELLE BRADSHAW lit a candle
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
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Janice, keeping you and your family in my thoughts during this difficult time. Love, Michelle
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The family of Robert James Malloy uploaded a photo
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
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Saturday
26
October
Visitation
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Erb & Good Family Funeral Home
171 King Street South
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Sunday
27
October
Celebration of Life Service
1:00 pm
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Erb & Good Family Funeral Home Chapel
171 King Street South
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Reception
A reception will immediately follow the service in the funeral home's Fireside Reception Room.
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