James Clarence Malone of Garland, Texas died May 16, 2017 after a hard-fought battle with Leukemia. Jim or Timmy, depending on when you met him, was born October 7, 1957 in Shreveport, Louisiana to Marvin Malone of Grand Prairie, Texas and Paula Kelly Malone of Longview, Texas.

Jim grew up in various locations in Texas but moved to Garland when he was in middle school, where he lived with his father and stepmother Helen Bianchi Malone. Upon moving to Garland, Jim met many people who would become lifelong friends and partners in crime. Jim attended South Garland High school, graduating in the Class of 1976. In high school, he met Beth Ann Bowers of Dallas, Texas, who would become his future wife, and her best friend Viki Hayes, who would become one of his best friends and his biggest advocate.

On August 22, 1978 he moved to Austin to be near Beth. The Austin years gave rise to many stories that could be shared, but they might not be fit to print, so we will just file them all under #1970saustinshenanigans, #beartossing, and #hippiehollow.

On August 23, 1980, after a long courtship, he married Beth and they moved back to the Dallas area where they lived in close proximity to their many friends and shared many laughs and good times. After a few years, they returned to Garland and bought the first of two “fixer upper” houses that Jim would slowly transform into the dream home he envisioned for his family through countless renovations and projects.

Jim did many things in his life, but, if you asked him, the most important one and the one he enjoyed the most was being a father. On Jan 20, 1984 Beth and Jim welcomed their first child Megan Leigh Malone; on April 21, 1988, their second Molly Jo Malone; and on June 14, 1990, Jim finally got his much anticipated son, Timothy Austin Malone. In July 2009, Jim happily welcomed his second son, and partner in projects into the family, son-in-law Cary August Hodson. In April 2015, he officially welcomed another daughter, Michelle Kathleen Thomas, into the family, although she had been family for long before that. Jim loved not only his kids and their spouses, but also every child that walked into his home. He would constantly list among his children his godchildren Kenyon and Jason Krause, and all of his children's friends who spent countless hours in his home. He was a surrogate father to many and relished this role.

The first quality anyone would bring up when talking about Jim is that he would do anything for anyone at any time. Any person who ever met him can probably tell a story about a time they needed something, no matter how extreme or small, and Jim came to their aid. He never did it for gratitude or thanks but because he didn't know how to not help, no matter if it was inconvenient or hard. He could work a 12 hour day, then go to help someone fix a part of their house, talk to his kids about their day, then work on the yard, all without complaint or even a well-deserved yawn.

The second trait that people would remember about Jim is that he was incredibly hard working. Jim hardly ever took a day off. When he did have a rare day off, it was common for him to be found knee-deep in dirt somewhere in the yard, digging a hole for a project, or assisting friends or family with installing flooring at their own homes. He seemed just as at home and relaxed working on his home or helping his friends as most people do relaxing on a couch. He found it hard to sit still for long, and earned the well deserved nickname of the “Energizer Bunny.” He was a man who didn’t know how to rest and even on a vacation to the beach would find a million things to do.

In April of 2015 Jim was diagnosed with Leukemia and received a stem cell transplant in August from his older brother Marvin Malone, Jr. After a lengthy recuperation, Jim returned to his active life in which he did not let anything slow him down. He always kept his spirits high and was the most positive energy in the room. He was a helper, even when he was not feeling well, and would only slow down when the people around him demanded it. The stem cell transplant gave him two more years with his family and friends, for which he was so thankful. After the transplant, he developed a severe case of Graft Versus Host Disease, which his body was constantly fighting in the last years of his life. GVHD develops when the donor's immune cells mistakenly attack the patient's normal cells. Because of this, the family asks that you donate to the Cowden Foundation (http://cowdenfoundation.org/donate/) in lieu of flowers. Jim was always a helper and would want anything you would like to send to him or his family to instead go to a cause that would help someone else battle this disease.

Jim died holding the hand of his wife of 37 years with one hand and his daughter’s with the other, surrounded by his children, stepmother, and lifelong friends. It was too soon, but he wouldn’t have wanted to go any other way than surrounded by his life’s work.

There will be a celebration of Jim’s life held at the business he helped to create, Intrinsic Smokehouse and Brewery (509 W. State Street) on Monday, May 22, 2017 from 5-9pm. Guests can come and go, but we will have a structured time to share a short story or remembrances of Jim from 6-7pm. We will also provide cards so that you can share your thoughts and memories about Jim with his family.