Maller, Donald E.
HALFMOON — Donald Edward Maller, age 87, passed away on Saturday, November 6, 2021.
Don was born in Connecticut and raised in Brooklyn, the youngest of two children by parents Randolf and Edith Maller. He spent his childhood summers with his brother, Owen, in Bud Lake, N.J. at his grandparents’ farm. At 20 years of age, Don joined the Army during the Korean War and served for three years from January 1953 to January 1956 in Salzburg, Austria. After being discharged from the military,
being charged from the military, Don took advantage of the GI Bill and graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Don met the love of his life, Sandra Joy Maller, outside of her sorority house. Due to her naturally outgoing personality, she invited Don in for lunch and the rest is history. They would have celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary this coming December 22, 2021. During the 64 years, they raised two daughters: Danna, a member of the first graduating class of women to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Stacy, a graduate of San Jose State University, a former Miss San Jose and a participant in the Miss California pageant, a preliminary to the Miss America pageant. The family moved to Atlanta where Don continued his education, graduating from the John Marshall Law School. He began his career as an attorney in Atlanta, working for the Equal Opportunity Atlanta alongside Martin Luther King Sr. and Andrew Jackson Young Jr. who later became a U.S. senator, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the mayor of Atlanta. Don was later general counsel to Munford, Inc. in Atlanta, and Monumental Properties in Baltimore, Md. Throughout his legal career, Don donated his time to the 700 Club where he helped many people. One of note, was a Vietnamese family that had been separated during the war. After many years of separation, Don was able to bring the family to the U.S. to join their husband and father.
Don enjoyed regaling his family with stories from his past, cruises with his wife Sandy, listening to old songs from their past while dancing and watching old movies. But most of all, he liked spending time with his granddaughter Jackie. He also enjoyed keeping up with his brother Owen’s children, Jimmy, Laura, Ailene, Tracy and Wendy.
Along with his daughters, Danna and Stacy, Don is survived by his granddaughter, Jackie and his son-in-law Bill Tobin. His wife Sandy passed in January 2018.
The family would like to thank Don’s amazing caregiver Tracy for helping him with such devotion.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 20, at 2 p.m. in the Catricala Funeral Home Inc., 1597 Route 9, Clifton Park.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Wounded Warrior Project at https://support. woundedwarriorproject.org/ donate.