Edward C. Malone

June 1, 1930 - November 30, 2020

SAN DIEGO — A remarkable life from a humble beginning, Edward C. Malone may have left us, but what remains is an extraordinary legacy, a loving family who shared in his adventures, and a host of wonderful friends who joined him along the way.

His vision and passion were evident in every dimension of life he touched. Ed pioneered community development and design and shaped the landscape of California with numerous significant and awardwinning projects. He loved farming, and it led to prominence in the California avocado industry. But, most important, he relished his role as husband, father, and grandfather, inspiring his loved ones to embrace life fully and enjoy the ride with him.

A California native, Ed was born in Oakland to Ruth Holmes Malone and John E. Malone, an Irish immigrant to the United States who was naturalized after serving in the U.S. Merchant Marines in World War II. Ed graduated from Los Angeles High School and enrolled in Los Angeles Community College, where he played basketball. One of his games against the Marines at Camp Pendleton inspired him to enlist in the Marine Corps, and he was soon involved in the Inchon Landing in Korea. Ed showed his grit as an artillery scout at the Chosin Reservoir, the site of a fierce battle for control of South Korea’s northern border— survivors are referred to as The Chosin Few.

Armed with a GI bill, Ed enrolled in USC’S prestigious School of Architecture and attended Advanced Architectural studies under the Albert C. Martin Grant. Here he met the love of his life, Barbara Page. Mesmerized by her, he climbed a ladder to her sorority window to deliver fresh donuts and coffee. That was the beginning of a 64-year marriage and their partnership in love, family, and life’s pursuits.

Ed and Barbara made San Diego their home, where he also began his architectural career. Early projects include local landmarks like the El Cortez Convention Center, UCSD Hillcrest Hospital, and UCSD Muir College housing. As an architect for Travares Construction Company, he led the master planning for 20,000 acres in California for Sunset International, which was the beginning of his legacy in the community development industry. Ed oversaw the design and building of hundreds of homes in four mixed-use planned communities, including San Carlos in San Diego, Sunset Hills in Los Angeles, Sunset in Sacramento, and San Marin in the Bay Area.

With the Sunset communities completed, Ed partnered with Dale Naegle to form Naegle and Malone Architects in 1966, which provided architectural services for developments in Mission Viejo, Pikes Creek Village, and Calabasas.

In 1968, Ed joined with a client, Donald Bren, to design and build Valencia Homes, an 840 home community in Santa Clarita. A visionary

innovator, he pioneered the Planned Residential Development concept, designing communities with paseos linking housing with schools, recreation facilities, and commercial properties. His concept would forever change the way communities were conceived and planned in the future.

Ed founded The Malone Company in 1970 and continued his remarkable accomplishments in the development industry, creating new neighborhoods in La Jolla, including La Jolla Corona and in the beautiful valley called Hidden Valley. Subsequent projects included Los Paseos in San Jose, Park Place in Cardiff, and Valencia View in San Diego. Always at the vanguard of his industry, Ed turned his attention to multifamily projects in a barren area along Genesee Avenue known as Canyon Park. In doing so, he opened the gateway for other developers to follow and build in what would become the bustling Golden Triangle and UTC area of San Diego.

After selling The Malone Company almost a decade later, Ed turned his attention to another passion where his deep interest in farming started to take root. He planned large groves on two avocado ranches in San Diego County and became entrenched in the avocado industry serving as an influential Board Member of the California Avocado Commission. These ranches are maintained and managed by the family to this day.

Ed’s visionary and transformative development approach earned him many prestigious awards, including four Gold Nugget awards at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference. Mentorship came naturally to Ed. He guided many in the industry and served on the Associated Builders & Contractors industry board. Ed also served as a Commissioner on the San Diego Housing Commission, the Mayor’s Stadium Expansion Committee, and the Urban Design Task Force. He was Foreman of the County Grand Jury and, at one time, even ran for San Diego City Council. Ed was deeply committed to helping build San Diego into one of the country’s finest cities.

Ed was truly an innovative force in his industry. Even with his expansive career, he was an adventurer at heart and took the time to trek the globe. He loved to travel with Barbara, family, and friends – whether it was charting the rivers in Europe or traveling the Intracoastal waterway from Texas to Canada.

He is survived by his beloved wife Barbara, daughter Erin Malone Walsh (Brian Walsh, husband) and son Brian Malone (Jeanette Malone, wife) along with his grandchildren, Brendan and Colin Walsh, and Sean and Jessica Malone.

Ed was the heart of the family and he engaged family and friends to share in life’s journeys and adventures. We wish him smooth seas and peace in his final resting place. He will forever be in our hearts and memories; we will always remember his joyous laughter and penchant for storytelling.

We hope to gather with family and friends in the new year when things are calmer so all can share their personal stories and tributes to Ed. Please sign into Ed’s guest book and share your memories and contacts for now. Thank you for being such an important part of Ed’s life.