L. Joy Mallicote Sr.

L. Joy Mallicote Sr. L. Joy Mallicote Sr., 81, a lifelong resident of the Tri-Cties area and prominent Bristol Tennessee businessman, died Wednesday, May 26, 2010. He passed away at his home, surrounded by family members, after a courageous battle with cancer. Joy was born on May 5, 1929, in Morristown, Tenn. He spent his formative years in the Happy Hill community of Kingsport, Tenn., and graduated from Sullivan High School. He joined the National Guard in 1948, serving two years. He then served two years active duty as a Master Sergeant with the U.S. Army in Trieste, Italy. Before and after the war, he worked in the composing room at the Kingsport Press. "Printer's ink got in his blood" and he spent most of his professional career in the publishing industry. Joy distinguished himself as a salesman and a corporate entrepreneur in the commercial printing industry as well as real estate investments and development. He has been described as driven and tenacious and often created business opportunities where none appeared to exist. After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pa., Joy found employment in 1956 as a graphic designer at King Printing Company in Bristol Tennessee. Spurred by his creative urges, thirst for knowledge and work ethic, Joy roamed the printing plant in his capacity as art director, getting hands-on experience in every department. Joy proved invaluable to the company and was promoted to vice president and then plant manager in 1963. He purchased the printing company in 1973 and changed the name to Mallicote Printing, Inc. Under his leadership, the business grew to become the largest printing company between Knoxville, Tenn., and Roanoke, Va., with 40 employees. During these years, Joy raised a large family, with many of his children eventually working alongside him. A naturally charismatic salesman, Joy personally traveled around the country to expand the business, transforming the company from a local firm to one with a well-earned national reputation for excellence. A hands-on manager as well as an artist, he personally designed promotions for products such as L'Eggs pantyhose by Hanes. With his connections in the publishing industry, he helped Royal Publishers Inc. to acquire Thomas Nelson Publishers, the premier publisher of Bibles and Christian books in the world. Mallicote Printing provided the working capital for other opportunities. Joy became known as a real estate developer, restoring and remodeling older homes as rental properties and beautifying Bristol in doing so. A man ahead of his time, he designed and remodeled contemporary "loft" apartments in downtown Bristol 30 years before the revitalization effort made the city's current loft apartments popular. Utilizing his drafting skills as an artist, he personally drew up plans for each apartment. To celebrate his 50th birthday, as well as his accomplishments, his family presented him with a "Monopoly" board game birthday cake depicting his acquisitions. After semi-retiring from the printing company, Joy began collecting cars, including a 1926 Model T and a 1929 Model A (automobiles he had coveted but could not afford as a young man). At the time of his death, he was a major stockholder in Contour Industries Inc. in Surgoinsville, Tenn., a leader in the glass fabrication industry. Joy loved life and people. He was a wonderful cook (he loved to create his own recipes), an avid gardener (growing his own vegetables and herbs), a farmer and bird watcher all of his life. People often admired his manicured lawn, lavish flower beds, vegetable garden, fruit trees and fish ponds at his home on Windsor Avenue. On various farms throughout the years, he enjoyed raising cattle, hogs, chickens and goats. Recently, he had even acquired and begun cultivating a honeybee colony. He was a former member of Fairmount Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon. Survivors include his former wife and the mother of his children, Marceleen Jackson Mallicote, Bristol Tennessee; three sons, Ron J. Mallicote, Norfolk, Va., Lional Joy Mallicote Jr. (Thnetta), Bristol Tennessee, and Michael Warren Mallicote, Knoxville, Tenn.; four daughters, Angela Mallicote Wampler (Eddie), Bluff City, Tenn., Cynthia Jean Mallicote, West Palm Beach, Fla., Brenda Mallicote Rogers (Gary), Bristol Tennessee, and Rebecca Mallicote Allen (Mark), Ruskin, Fla.; three grandchildren, Michael Brandon Groseclose and Gil Jackson Groseclose, Kingsport, Tenn., and Jessica Grace Rogers, Bristol Tennessee; two step-grandchildren, R. Heath Hampton, Charleston, S.C., and Allyson Rogers Rutherford, Bristol Tennessee; two great-grandchildren, Cameron and Jayda Groseclose, Kingsport, Tenn.; three brothers, G. Keener Mallicote (Nancy) and Kenneth Mallicote (Colleen), Kingsport, Tenn., and Hike Mallicote (Barbara), Dandridge, Tenn.; four sisters, Betty Mallicote Barnes, Beresford, S.D., Pat Mallicote Albert (David), Greeneville, Tenn., Joanne Mallicote Morelock (Jim), Kingsport, Tenn., and Zandi Mallicote, Roanoke, Va.; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Peggy Belinda Mallicote; his parents, Reford Homer Mallicote and Esther Myers Mallicote Lucas; his brother, Jack Mallicote; and his sister, Barbara Mallicote Zachary. Funeral service will be held Friday, May 28, 2010, at 8 p.m. in the Weaver Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Jack Stevens officiating. The family will receive friends from 5-7:45 p.m. prior to the service. Military honors will be conducted by the Bristol VFW Honor Guard. Honorary pallbearers will be Mack Blevins, Jim DeVault, Matt Gangwer, Dr. Greg J. Griffith, Joe Hardwick, Howell Henson, Don Miller, Ernie Osborne, Mitch Skaggs and Karl Smith. Condolences may also be sent to the family at www.weaverfuneralhome.net Arrangements have been made with Weaver Funeral Home.