Robert William "Bob" Mallen

Robert "Bob" William Mallen, 74, of Chattanooga, TN passed away peacefully Wednesday January 14, 2026 not long after an unexpected diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Bob was born on March 16, 1951 in Lincoln, NE to Stanley and Margaret (Colton) Mallen. He was the youngest of 4 children and the only boy. The family moved to North Farmington, MI, where Bob graduated from North Farmington High School in 1969. He then attended Michigan State University where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering. While at MSU, he met Diane (Novak) Downs. They married in 1975, shared three children together, and eventually divorced. Bob spent his career in the Health & Beauty Care packaging industry working for companies like Arden, Estee Lauder, Jovan, Amway, and Fabrege. Following the divorce he moved to Arizona to work for The Dial Corp, where the kids enjoyed visits in the summers. Bob eventually landed at Chattem in Chattanooga, Tennessee in a position that saw more international travel- Bob really stood out on the streets of China. From his time in HBC, Bob developed a passion for fragrance - it was always easy to tell when Bob had been in a room and hugs would leave you smelling him the rest of the day. After retiring, Bob found a new passion- a rescue dog named Buddy.

Bob preferred to live in the moment and do the things he enjoyed while letting everything else go as demonstrated by his life's motto "It is what it is". He was an avid sports fan, following all Spartan sports and golf closely. He spent many weekends on the golf course and was thrilled to go to the Masters with his daughter Robyn in 2011. During his 4 years at MSU, he made a core group of lifelong friends affectionately called "The Shakes" who fondly referred to him as Burf. They continue to get together on yearly trips, the last just in October.

Bob is survived by his sisters, Pat Dobrowski, Donna (Steve) Pezda, and Sue Leslie, his children, BJ (Valli) Mallen, Robyn (Michael) Wigdzinski, and Brittany (Andrew) Fuller, as well as his dearest friend, Mary Marth, and his sweet dog, Lele. He was also extremely proud to be known as Gpa Bob and is survived by 10 grandchildren and 1 grandson-in-law.

He was preceded in death by his parents Stanley and Margaret Mallen and his beloved dog Buddy. A celebration of life is tentatively scheduled for March, location TBD.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be directed to The Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga - https://www.heschatt.org/

Visit the online obituary www.heritagechattanooga.com to post tributes and share memories.

Arrangements by Heritage Funeral Home, East Brainerd Chapel.