Alton H. (Bill) Malone, Jr.  (89) passed away peacefully on August 3, 2023, with his wife and family lovingly by his side.

Born April 4, 1934, to Ida (Cox) and Alton Hodge Malone, Sr., Bill grew up in Florida, Tennessee, New Orleans, and Mississippi as an only child, moving with his family as his father completed his education. This afforded Bill opportunities to fuel his life-long love of music through learning to play the piano and participating in musical events such as the opera.

Bill attended Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN prior to joining the United States Army, serving in the US, Germany, and France.  Upon discharge, he worked as a Bookmobile Librarian in Georgia, fostering his passion for reading, before returning to Carson-Newman to complete his undergraduate education.  It was there that he and Carol McGary met.  They wed on August 25, 1962, and celebrated 60 years together.  They built a life and family together in Tennessee, Illinois, South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky.  He completed a Master of Science in Library Science degree at the University of Illinois and worked as a Reference Librarian at the University of South Carolina, Mars Hill College and as Library Director at Gardner Webb College.  He ended his career as a Reference Librarian at Morehead State University, which allowed him to do what he loved most, build relationships and help people.  He enjoyed loving life and shared that love with others through his passions for good music, fine literature, travel, and wonderful food, all of which were better when savored with others. He loved people and was happiest when working with them, as seen through his work as a long-time member of First Baptist Church of Morehead where he was a deacon and volunteer, and his work with many organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

In addition to his wife, Bill will be missed by his children Kay Malone Hedrick (Rusty) and Mack Malone. Bill was joyfully "Grandaddy" to Katherine (Lane), Will, and Anna Hedrick, loving them and spending countless hours with them. His extended family includes his sister and brother-in-law Gary and Jean (McGary) Casper.

Bill's love transformed the lives of everyone he encountered. He brought a bounty of smiles and compassion to everything he did. He had a remarkable ability to connect with people, share himself and evoke that same spirit of love in each person he knew.

Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at Northcutt and Son Home for Funerals, 400 Fraley Drive, Morehead, KY 40351.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to First Baptist Church of Morehead, KY a t https://fbc-morehead.org/index.html or Habitat for Humanity at https://secure.habitat.org/

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.northcuttandson.com