Hans-Joachim Malz

Castleton: After a wonderful life Hans-Joachim Malz, 87, passed away peacefully on July 9, 2025. Born in Stettin, Germany on March 31, 1938, Hans was the youngest of three brothers and a sister. Growing up in war-torn Germany, upon turning fourteen, he joined the Merchant Marine which led to travels to the far corners of the World. He worked in food services on several cruise liners, restaurants in the US Virgin islands and Pennsylvania. It was in the Virgin Islands where he met Christine (Kuehn) with whom he would share 51 years of marriage. Later they moved to Vermont to be closer to family and where Hans became a US citizen.
He loved sailing, cooking, baking, playing chess, detailing cars, adopting rescue cats and dogs and traveling with Chris and his life-sized gorilla, Koko, from the Gorilla Foundation. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a full bag of practical jokes - always up for a good time whether it was hanging out with the diner crowd at the Birdseye, the Lightning Fleet on Bomoseen or entertaining at home, or later, at the Pines.
He is survived by his sister, Marga Ehlers of Kiel, Germany, in-laws Bill and Sandy Kuehn of West Haven, VT, nephews Harald Malz of Aachen, Germany, William D. Kuehn of Martinez, CA and Jonathan A. Kuehn of Bomoseen, VT. He was predeceased by his wife, Christine in 2022, his parents and brothers, Sigfried and Ottfried.
According to his wishes there will be no public services but he hoped that everyone would have a good laugh and a smile on their face for having known him.
His family would like to express their gratitude for the loving and compassionate care provided by the nurses and other staff at the Pines during his stays there.
Durfee Funeral Home provided cremation and other assistance to the family.