Obituary of William H. "Bill" Malone

William Howard Malone, II, 79, of Fairmont, passed away on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at the United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, WV. He was born August 22, 1943 in Charleston, WV, a son of the late William H. and Martha Gibbs Malone. Bill was a 1961 graduate of Charleston High School and studied secondary education at Fairmont State College, and then Educational Supervision and Administration at West Virginia University. Bill was a teacher with the Marion County Board of Education for over 30 years and taught primarily at East Fairmont High School in English and Speech, and later Health and Physical Education classes. Throughout his teaching career, Bill coached many athletic teams at East Fairmont High School where he touched the lives of hundreds of individuals over the years and where he built so many lifelong relationships with both his students and his players. He coached, boys and girls tennis teams, girls and boys cross country teams, one year of boys’ freshman basketball team, 1977-1978, which was the only undefeated team East Fairmont has ever had , thirty-six years of girls’ basketball where he won 416 career games, and he was currently serving as the golf team coach. Bill was a coach for most of his career and brought home conference championships in each of the four sports he coached. He served as EFHS Athletic Director from 2001-2006, and volunteered as site coordinator with the WVSSAC State Tennis tournament. Bill loved to golf and would play “any place, any time” in his spare time. He had been an avid League bowler in the Fairmont area, and also played on the Fairmont State College bowling team He was a member of the Elks Club of Fairmont and a past member of the Jaycees in which he was very active. Above all, Bill loved spending time with his grandsons who were the “apple of his eye” which included vacations to Myrtle Beach with his family. Bill is survived by his daughters, Misty and her husband Brian Strader of Charleston, WV, and Amy and her husband Darin Webster of Clarksburg, WV, his grandchildren Carson and William Andrew Webster; as well as his significant other, Linda Skidmore, and his best friend of 70 years, who he considered his brother, Philip Farley of Winchester, VA. In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his former wife and mother of his children, Ginger Malone. The family has entrusted the arrangements to Ford Funeral Home, 201 Columbia Street, Fairmont, WV. Friend and family may visit on Saturday, March 4, 2023 from 2PM until 8PM and on Sunday, March 5, 2023 from 12noon until 1PM. The funeral will be held in the funeral home on Sunday at 1PM. Interment will follow at the Mt. Zion Cemetery and Mausoleum. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.fordfuneralhomes.com.