Roy Malone

James Roy Malone, Sr., 100, passed away at home on Friday, October 29, 2021.

A private family graveside service will be held.

Roy was born in Laurens County, April 7, 1921 to the late Allen Cleon Malone, Sr. and Bessie Jane Lyles Malone. In 1950, he married Sarah Ann Weaver from Dudley, Georgia.  

Roy grew up in the Mount Carmel community outside of Dexter, Georgia, graduated from Kite High School and received his degree from ABAC. He served as a P51 fighter pilot in the Pacific Theatre during WWII flying 61 missions.  After the bombing of Nagasaki, he was commissioned to fly over the city and surrounding areas at 200 feet to record the aftermath in pictures.  Returning home from the war, he attended the University of Georgia on the GI Bill and received a BS in Agriculture which he put to good use on his Spring Haven Farm outside of Dexter.  While farming, he served for 10 years as a liaison officer for the Air Force Academy, retiring In 1972 from the Air Force Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Often called a peacemaker by colleagues, Roy humbly accepted leadership roles, helping his colleagues accomplish civic goals with sound business principles, fairness, respect, and humor. After WWII, he taught Farm Training to veterans.  He was a charter member of the Board of Directors of the Progressive Rural Cooperative that brought telephone service to Laurens County.  He taught Sunday School classes at Mount Carmel Church, served several terms on the Laurens County BOE and was on the advisory committee to the West Laurens Young Farmers Chapter.  He worked for peanut farmers chairing the GFA (GA, FL, AL) Peanut Association and the Georgia Farm Bureau Peanut Advisory Committee.  He chaired or served on the board of directors of Dublin Federal Land Bank, Farmer’s Mutual Exchange of Dublin, and the South Atlantic Production Credit Association.  He was a member of the Agriculture, Small Business and Labor Advisory Council to the Federal Reserve Board in Atlanta.  A certified Forest Steward, in 1998 he was named Southern Regional Tree Farmer of the Year and in the same year he was first runner-up for national Tree Farmer of the Year award. In 2010, he was Laurens County’s Senior Citizen of the Year.

Roy was at home in board rooms, but he was even more at home in the fields and the forests.  He loved farming, hunting, fishing, travel, learning and telling a good story or joke and he readily shared his interests with family and friends. He regularly opened his farm to primary school classes, 4-H, FFA, Boy Scouts and young farmer groups, hunting associations, horseback riding groups and others for their enjoyment and education. He was avid about passing on to future generations his views on man’s responsibility to contribute toward the beautification and conservation of nature.

A loving family-man, Roy exemplified strong values regarding God, family, community, and country.  Nothing gave him more pleasure than sharing his life in work and play on his Goose Hollow Tree Farm with his 4 children, 14 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.  He was always there for family or friends who needed him.  His steadfast love, deep wisdom, sincere gratitude, ready humor and great laugh will be missed but will always remain in our hearts.

Roy was predeceased by his parents and his son, Patrick Duggan Malone; brothers, Alger Lee Malone, Allen Cleon Malone, Jr., Alton Tharpe Malone, and George Linton Malone; and sisters, Anne Vestal M. Bonnell, Alice Grayce M. Williams, Iris Modena M. Woodard, and Maureen Malone, along with several nieces and nephews. 

Survivors include Sarah, his loving wife and helpmate of 70 years; children, Pamela M. Mullis (Tommy); James Malone, Jr. (Doris Jean); Gail M. Poole (Woody); and daughter-in-law, Kathy Lord Malone Sanders (Joe), wife of Roy and Sarah’s late son, Patrick Malone, all of Dexter; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Jeremy Mullis (Missy) and children Morgan and Dalton; Corbin Mullis (Misty) and children Levi, Ellie Ruth, Lorelei and Graydon; Jessica Mullis Lamb (Mark) and children Madelyn, Jaxson and Nora; Nicholas Mullis (Sarah) and children Timmy and Penny; Tyler Mullis; Kristopher Mullis; Barrett Malone (Cassie) and children Mary Peyton, Ann McRae, Evelyn, and Royce; Keegan Malone (Katie) and children Fordham and Emmett; Jacob Poole (Laura) and children Malone, J. W. and Camilla; Ryan Poole(Caroline) and children Hadley and Cap; Sarah Poole-Chadwick (Brian) and son Max; Kevin Malone (Sherrie) and children Logan and Chandler; April Malone Anderson and children Ethan, Grant and Luke; Bill Malone (Meredith) and children Tanner and Duggan along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Roy’s grandchildren will serve as pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 405 North Green Street, Dexter, GA  31019.

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