James "Jim" MALY

1931 - 2015

MALY, James "Jim", 84, died in Tucson, Arizona on December 8, 2015 after a brief illness. Jim was born in 1931 in Rockton, IL to Frank and Bernice (Savickas) Maly. He graduated from IIT with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He served in the Army for two years teaching soldiers to be electricians. His subsequent career in the private sector spanned numerous companies including US Steel, Koppers, Campbell Soup, Beech-Nut, Heinz, and General Foods. Jim was an accomplished engineer and innovator in the area of food packaging machinery, and developed technologies enabling fast, convenient dairy products without reliance on food additives or chemically-modified ingredients. He also helped develop a method of manufacturing drink bottles with a twist-off top which was safe for children to use. This technology is embodied in Kool-Aid Bursts and several other juice products which can still be found on grocery store shelves today, over two decades later. He travelled extensively during his life, visiting Venezuela, Japan, Italy, England, France, Switzerland, and Alaska. He enjoyed wood working, cooking, camping, Italian food and wine, fly fishing, and ill-tempered pets. Jim is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Carole (Shumack) Maly of Chicago. He is survived by his former wife, Marigale Maly; daughter, Dr. Monique Maly; sons, James and John Maly; stepdaughter, Claudine Villardito; grandchildren, Katherine, Levi and Emily Maly; nieces, Nici Bersbach, Mary Beth and Noelle Caccitolo; nephew, John Caccitolo; in-laws, Richard and Rebecca Fries and John and Darlene Caccitolo and cousins, Daniel Bogda, Melinda Heaney, and Jeanene Jackson. He will be dearly missed. Donations in Jim's name can be made to the Brian Tumor Alliance. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Avalon Chapel.