Michael E. Malone

1959 - 2025

Michael E. Malone of Ocala, Florida, passed away peacefully on November 19, 2025, after a long illness.

Michael was born on December 14, 1959, to Eugene and Mary (Scanlon) Malone. Raised in Whitesboro, he graduated from Whitesboro High School in 1978 and then earned his degree in Advertising and Production Design from Mohawk Valley Community College.

Although his first job was working for the Advertising Department at the Rome Sentinel, Michael always had a love for flying. He earned his private pilot's license at Camp Aviation at the Oneida County Airport. He became a flight instructor and continued his aviation studies, which culminated in earning his Airline Transport Pilot rating from the Bolivar Aviation International School of Aeronautics in Tennessee.

Michael's professional aviation career began with Mohawk Airlines flying Beechcraft 1900s. He upgraded and became a Dash-8 pilot for US Air Express. His ultimate wish came true when, in 2000, he landed a job flying for Southwest Airlines. He had a distinguished career with the airline and retired as a Captain in 2017.

Mike had a lot of unique experiences and great stories about flying, but one of the most unusual ones was while on board the British Airways Concorde. Flying at twice the speed of sound, a flight attendant approached him to say, "Excuse me. Captain Malone? The honour of your presence is requested on the flight deck." He said the view out the cockpit windows, flying at an altitude where the curvature of the earth could be seen, was the best view in the world.

Michael was pre-deceased by the light of his life, his wife Dorothy Smiley-Malone, who passed away in 2022. He is survived by his sisters, Kathy Palmer (and husband Sam Baugh), Colleen Tittle (and husband Lou), his brother, Thomas Malone (and wife Audrey), as well as his nephews, his niece, and his great-niece.

Private funeral services will be held in Ocala, but a celebration of Michael's life will take place in the spring of 2026, at the convenience of the family.

Messages of sympathy at www.mmknfd.com