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Bruce Malchow Obituary
Bruce was born on May 24, 1942, in St. Louis, MO, where he spent the first 60 years of his life. He attended Scruggs elementary school and Cleveland High School where he made many lifetime friends. He continued his education by earning a Bachelor's Degree from Southeast Missouri State and was a member of Sigma Tau Gamma.
Bruce was an All-Star athlete in both basketball and baseball in high school. He was recruited by the Boston Red Sox and signed with them as a pitcher. Unfortunately, after playing a season in the minor leagues, his promising career in major league baseball ended following an arm injury.
His love of sports continued for many years coaching baseball with the Johnny Mac Organization, coaching his sons' basketball teams, and managing an elementary school basketball league in south St. Louis County. We know he is still cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Professionally, he taught elementary school PE and worked in human resources before moving into sales. Employed as a regional sales manager for 25 plus years by the Rich SeaPak Corporation, he and his wife accepted the company's offer in 2000 to relocate to Arizona where two of their children lived. He eventually retired there and spent his remaining years in Scottsdale, AZ.
Bruce was successful, happy, easy going, and had a good and clever sense of humor. He was very much "live and let live" and virtually never complained. He was a beloved husband, father of four, grandfather of five, and friend of many. He will be missed.
Please sign Bruce's Guest Book and share your memories of Bruce.
A Celebration of Bruce's life will take place at Noon on Saturday, March 1, 2025, Royal Orleans, 2801 Telegraph Rd, St. Louis, MO 63125. We'd love to see you there!
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Scott
June 15, 2025
Happy Father´s Day Pops!!
Dick Tuhro
May 18, 2025
Bruce was my hero! I remember in grade school, him and me with a couple of my friends in back of the drug store across from Resurrection grade school explaining "LIFE" to us. Bruce was 3 yrs older but back then seemed 10 years older,all knowing, a great athlete, eventually best of all a FRIEND
Scott
March 3, 2025
To My Dad
As a child, you don´t fully appreciate who your parents are. You hear stories, but likely hard to grasp. What I remember most about my dad wasn´t the material things, it´s how present he was, prioritizing family over career opportunities or personal interests.
From an early age, I was into sports. Playing wiffle ball and basketball in the backyard, turning our living room into WWF wrestling, my dad was always there. He coached me through grade school baseball, high school summers, and even when I was playing in college, he was there in the stands-cheering me on, shouting "Let´s go, PeeWee!"
As many of you know, my dad was an athlete in his own right-he made it into the Red Sox organization during the Ted Williams era as a relief pitcher. He loved to tell me stories about how they would try to pitch to him without any success. My dad didn´t keep that to himself. His love for sports-especially baseball-was something he shared with so many of us. Some of my closest friends, who he coached for many years, are here or thinking of him today.
I´m proud to say that those friendships and memories have lasted a lifetime. Even in his final days, my dad would ask about the guys he coached, and he found so much joy hearing about how they were doing.
In addition to coaching, my dad and I shared a love for golf, including our lifelong competition of who had more hole-in-ones. For the record, I´m up one on him. And of course, our favorite pastime-gambling. He took me to Fairmount Park to bet on horses, the Casino Queen long before I was 21, and whenever anyone in the family hit that milestone, we´d be off to Las Vegas for the weekend, gambling on anything that came our way. We rarely won, but as they say, the memories and stories are priceless.
Like everyone who grew up in St. Louis, my dad was a huge Cardinals fan. In 1982, he left me home for Game 7 of the World Series when the Cardinals won, all because I wouldn´t wear a jacket. But in 1985, I had my chance at redemption, of course seeing all four games the Cardinals lost to the Royals. In 1996, we went to the National League playoffs against the Braves. Afterwards, we stopped at Johnnie´s in Soulard. I don´t remember much about the game, but it was the first time I shared a beer with my dad and is a moment I´ll never forget.
And speaking of drinking, my dad´s friends really liked to drink. It´s generally where I learned so much about him-from joyriding on greyhounds to walking a Clydesdale around a bar, to racing our brown conversion van against other dads to see who could get to the baseball games first. My dad was easy-going, fun and rarely let anything bother him.
As many of you know, my dad had this amazing ability to fall asleep anywhere-at the clubhouse, a party, in the first inning of a Cardinals game. You couldn´t blink before you´d hear him snoring in any position. I used to think it was just him, but now, with three kids of my own, I get it. We wore him out! But despite all those naps, I heard countless stories from his friends about how much they appreciated him-and how much fun he was. Those lifelong friendships and the love shown here today truly reflect the kind of person he was.
He was a great friend to so many of you, an amazing husband to my mom, and, without a doubt, the best dad I could´ve ever asked for. I´ll miss his stories, his messages telling me the Cardinals "stink," and his endless questions about my golf game and how my kids were doing-who always gave him knuckles and called him Popa.
As my dad rests now in God´s eternal life, reunited with my brother Steve, I just want to thank everyone here today for celebrating his life. I also want to especially thank those who supported him during his final months- Nick, who was there tirelessly supporting my mom, ensuring that his last days were peaceful and filled with reminiscing about all the great times in their lives. And most importantly, my mom, who put up with him for 57 years, was always at his side with appreciation and enduring love for him.
We could all be so lucky to have a life well lived.
Peewee
Dianne Dietz Stever
February 9, 2025
I was a student at Scruggs School and Cleveland and remember Bruce as a very personable, fun loving guy. My heartfelt sympathy to his family. May God´s comfort and peace be with you.
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Wilbern Grove
February 9, 2025
I went to high school with Bruce and he was a really nice guy.
Sue Matula
February 7, 2025
Bruce, Bill Matula, Don Behlke, and other Sig Tau buddies always enjoyed a game of cards.
"The King with the axe
A one eyed Jack
Are always worth a wild
Double down
Take a hit
And always wear
A smile."
Perhaps they are enjoying a game in heaven now.
With fond memories, Diane Behlke and Sue Matula
Nick Berring
February 6, 2025
I first met Bruce at age 11 playing baseball against his team. He was a great pitcher for his team. I wasn't very happy to play against him as he threw me an inside pitch and broke my brand new $2.75 Ted Williams KL2 baseball bat. We played against each other for a few years but then lost touch. I wasn't until 1960 when SM's HS thought I would be better suited to finish my education at CHS. Arriving at CHS I was assigned the same home room as Bruce. I knew very few people so my old nemesis, Bruce being a BMOC took me under his wing where this newcomer would be accepted. We became fast friends and spent much time together (70 yrs.) until his passing on Dec. 13th, 2024, where I had the honor to be at his side when he took his final breath. I'm hoping that he will take me under his wing again, when my time comes.
Nick Berring
Ken Wilhelm
February 6, 2025
Shari, Bruce was always a support for me at the Castle. During our senior year he and Gene Simmons encouraged me to come out for the basketball team, knowing my role would be as a practice player but I so enjoyed the comraderies of the guys and walking out of that gym with he and Gene.
You have a treasure of memories to share with people that may not have known him and with his grandkids. We lost a good one, Shari.
Ken Wilhelm
Shari Malchow
February 5, 2025
Dear Bruce, I was blessed to have found you and honored you chose me to be your wife. We were fortunate to be together for over 58 years! For now, I will carry you and our son, Steve, in my heart along with all the memories. Until I see you again .....
Much love,
Shari
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