Obituary
Robert (Bob) J. Malach, of Fort Myers, Florida, passed away peacefully overlooking his beloved Sanibel & Captiva Islands on February 13, 2022.
Bob was born on September 30, 1927, in Dixon, Illinois, to Leo and Agnes (Auchstetter) Malach. Growing up in Dixon along the Rock River, he considered the City to be his “center of the earth.” Upon graduating from high school, he earned his Bachelor of Science and master’s degree with a major in Statistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Following his graduation, he joined Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. He was called to service shortly thereafter and joined the Army as a Mathematics-Statistics Assistant at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. After serving his country, he rejoined Eastman Kodak as a Statistician.
Soon after moving to Rochester, he met and married Joanne Dowling and they eventually settled in Pittsford, New York, where they raised their six children and developed lifelong friendships. After he retired from Eastman Kodak, they moved to Captiva Island, which they had fallen in love with over the years. On Captiva Island, they enjoyed many new friendships, tennis, boating and fishing. After living on Captiva for 10 years, they moved to the Bonita Springs, Florida area. Joanne passed away in 2012, after 58 great years of marriage to Bob.
Bob and Joanne loved and cared for their family deeply. When their children were grown and living far apart from one another, they organized an annual family reunion most often held on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. They treasured those extended family gatherings, which earned the name “Camp Malach.” Many great memories and friendships were created among the grandchildren, who only saw their cousins once a year. Bob and Joanne were so happy to see how these relationships grew through the years and continue to this day.
Bob is survived by his six children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his sisters AraLee Burns and Joan Stewert, brother John (Jack) Malach, and sons-in-law: Craig Zurick and Dickson Pitts.
To honor Bob (and Joanne), a family celebration will be planned in the future (time and location TBD).
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