Donald J. Malinowski (1937-2019)

Nov. 20--Donald J. Malinowski, 82, who was business manager of a family-owned funeral home and who had key roles at Toledo Edison at the dawn of data-processing and computer systems, died Saturday at Mercy Health St. Anne Hospital.

He had Parkinson's disease, said his wife, Valerie Sujkowski Malinowski.

Mr. Malinowski retired at age 80 from Sujkowski Funeral Home Northpointe, owned by brother-in-law Hilary Sujkowski and, until his death in July, father-in-law Valentine Sujkowski.

In addition to his business manager duties, Mr. Malinowski developed a system to print holy cards and other materials. He received an insurance license to make pre-need arrangements with clients, as did his wife, and was on duty and helped out at funerals.

"He was good at conversing with people. He was a good guy all around," his wife said.

And he was dedicated, as he had been during his 37 1/2 -year utility-company career, which began as a Toledo Edison Co. mail boy. A position in data processing put him on the ground floor as the utility began to use computers.

He became a computer operations supervisor and later helped oversee administrative support systems in the information systems department. A prolific writer himself -- including poems about sports he called "spoetry" -- he taught classes on report writing to information systems staff.

Childhood friend Stan Carpenter said: "The thing he had was charm and a charismatic personality. He was welcoming to people. I can see him in a leadership position."

As Toledo Edison and Cleveland Electric Illuminating formed to create Centerior Energy, Mr. Malinowski moved to the Cleveland area to help with the transition.

He retired in 1993. He and his wife returned to northwest Ohio three years later.

He was born April 11, 1937 to Lottie and Anthony Malinowski and grew up on Hudson Street in North Toledo.

He was a graduate of Woodward High School, where he was captain of the baseball team and a member of a city champion bowling team. He attended the University of Toledo and played Catholic Youth Organization basketball and in adult baseball leagues.

In high school, he and Mr. Carpenter started harmonizing and with two other boys created a doo-wop vocal group, the Four Sharps, later the Flattops, singing at school assemblies and sock hops.

Mr. Malinowski in the early 1960s was part of a local vocal trio, the Three Reasons. One of the group's singles, "Beachtime," was played on American Bandstand.

While wide success eluded the group, Mr. Malinowski in the early 1970s teamed with friend Gene Ingram to write and copyright 50 songs. Recording as "Don Malin," he recorded several.

Mr. Malinowski also sang at weddings and church events and formerly directed the Our Lady of Lourdes Church choir.

He was formerly married to Audrey Malinowski.

Surviving are his wife, Valerie, whom he married Aug. 8, 1986; sons, Mark and David Malinowski; daughter, Kelly Malinowski; stepson, Matthew Reese; three grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren, and six step great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday at Sujkowski Funeral Home Northpointe, with a Scripture service at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Joseph Church, Sylvania.

The family suggests tributes to the Parkinson Foundation of Northwest Ohio.

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