William “Bill” Steven Malcom passed away Saturday, June 26, 2021, surrounded by his family at his home in Lewiston.

Bill was born June 4, 1949, in Lewiston, the fourth child of Kermit and Betty (Wann) Malcom. Bill enjoyed growing up in Lewiston. He attended Whitman Elementary and liked playing with neighborhood kids and swimming at the Bert Lipps Pool. He was active in the Cub and Boy Scouts, where he made many fond memories, from campouts and canoe trips down the North Fork of the Clearwater to attending the 1963 World Scout Jamboree in Greece.

Bill was a natural leader and was elected student body president at Jenifer Jr. High and sophomore and senior class president at Lewiston High School, a role he continued to play through the years as he organized class functions and reunions.

After graduating in 1967, Bill briefly attended Whitman College. After a short break, he moved to Salt Lake City, where he attended the University of Utah. He married Deanna Ebel in 1969 and their son, William Quince Hugh, was born that December on Christmas Day. Bill returned to Lewiston in 1971 and helped with the family funeral home. Bill and Deanna’s second child, Misty April, was born in April 1972. They moved back to Utah, where Bill worked in mining as he finished up graduate school, earning his M.Ed. in Special Education in 1975.

He taught at Plummer High School from 1975-76 before being hired by Lewis-Clark State College in the Special Skills Program. After his time at LCSC, Bill worked several different jobs, including running a roller skate making and rental business on Main Street in Lewiston.

In 1981, Bill went back to work for his dad as an apprentice mortician and in 1983, Bill, along with his brother and brother-in-law, Marsh Harwick, purchased Malcom’s Brower-Wann Funeral Home, so his parents could retire. Bill attended Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore., and got his funeral service degree in 1985. That year he gained a stepson, Scott Cary, when he married Kathryn Lafollette. They lived in Lewiston, where Bill worked at the funeral home. He served as vice president and then president of the Idaho Funeral Service Association. He also served several years on the National Funeral Directors Training and Retention Committee.

In 1990, Bill accepted a position as an instructor in Mt. Hood Community College’s Funeral Service Program. He was there for 14 years, the last six as program director. In the mid-90s he became involved with the National Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team.

In the summer of 1997, Bill worked in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, as a guest consultant with Service Corporation International, a large funeral home organization. In 2001, he returned to London as an instructor with the Oregon Community College Study Abroad Consortium. He taught Oregon students at the University of London for one quarter. Bill found the diversity of the city to be an excellent teaching resource—plus the Student Union had a pub in it.

In 2004, Bill retired from Mt. Hood and moved back to Lewiston to manage the funeral home, which he did until his retirement in 2012.
Bill connected with Donna Schock at a class reunion planning meeting in 2006 and they were married at their home in Lewiston in 2009. Donna’s children, Amber Brotnov, Lindsay Benedict and Ben Stonecipher, were excited to welcome Bill to the family. He and Donna had an eventful life full of love and laughter.

Traveling, renovating their 115-year-old craftsman home, gardening and spending time with family were among the highlights of Donna and Bill’s life together. Always a teacher at heart, Bill taught his grandchildren how to play chess, grow a garden and steer a boat. When he wasn’t outside, he was in the kitchen. He was known for his homemade rolls and Belgian waffles—he must have made hundreds of those waffles. Maybe thousands.

Bill’s work as the chair of the Urban Forestry and Normal Hill Cemetery Advisory Commission from 2010-2020 had a lasting effect on the community. He revitalized the State Tree Grove at the cemetery, developed a children’s book about trees for local elementary schools, and led the cemetery’s tree identification program.

Bill loved reading and collected a modest library. He enjoyed boating and captained several trips off the coast of Washington and British Columbia. He enjoyed watching the sunset, the birds racing in the sky, the stars twinkling at night and puppy dogs.

Bill was preceded in death by his father and mother, Kermit and Betty Wann Malcom; sisters Sandra Jo Roberts (James) and Kristin Wann Harwick (Marshall); nephew Michael Roberts; great-niece Kristina Hund; grandparents and great-grands who are all buried around here; his very good friend Samuel English; and his canine friends: Soapy, 2 Bears, Kelly and Duncan.

He is survived by his loving wife Donna; son Quince Malcom; daughter Misty Malcom; stepchildren Scott Cary (Rachel), Ben Stonecipher, Amber Brotnov (Jons) and Lindsay Benedict (Michael Carrasco); and grandchildren Deidra Hakala, Mason Cary, and Jonah, Jonson, Jalen and Amara Brotnov. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and outlaws, and many friends (he thinks).

Bill was a true Renaissance man whose sense of humor, generosity, kindness and richly resonant voice will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Warrior Room at the Hells Canyon Grand Hotel (formerly the Red Lion).

In lieu of flowers, Bill asked that donations be given to the Lewiston Independent Foundation for Education, 3317 12th St. to support their social service and lunch assistance programs. For those who are unable to attend, the service will be live streamed at facebook.com/malcomsfuneralhome. Please sign the online guest book or send condolences at malcomsfuneralhome.com.

 

 

Service Information

Date & Time

Tuesday, July 6, 2:00 PM

Location

Hells Canyon Grand Hotel
621 21st Street
Lewiston, Idaho 83501

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ATTENTION: Bill's service will be in the Warrior Room, not the Seaport Room

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1711 18th Street
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
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E-mail: malcoms@malcomsfuneralhome.com

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