The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Malafronte remembered for courage, love of family
WOODBRIDGE — Louis “Chip” Malafronte was remembered Monday for his determined and courageous battle with cancer, the special bonds he shared with his sisters in music, sports and travel, and most of all, for his love and devotion to his 12-year old son, John Paul.
Malafronte, a sports writer and columnist for Hearst Connecticut’s New Haven Register for 25 years, was laid to rest following services at Our Lady of the Assumption Church before about 100 guests, limited due to COVID-19 restrictions. Malafronte, 48, died Wednesday.
Malafronte, who grew up in Orange and attended Amity Regional (1989) and Central Connecticut State (1994), was eulogized by his sister, Nancy Malafronte.
Nancy Malafronte spoke of strong family ties, from Sunday dinners with Chip and her sisters that often ended with heated Scrabble matches, to the families’ cousins who came to their aid during Chip’s five-year battle with cancer. She spoke of the strength of their mother, Shirley, and how she visited him each and every day, providing him nourishment and spiritual guidance.
Chip and Nancy Malafonte often traveled together with their families, including many trips that included stops in Major League baseball cities such as Denver, Chicago, Tampa, Atlanta, San Francisco and Milwaukee. They traveled together with family in 2016 to the Field of Dreams set in Iowa.
Nancy Malafronte shared a story of how Chip emerged from the cornfield, reenacting the famous scene of Ray Liotta’s Shoeless Joe character from the 1989 film. He would post a video to his Facebook page with the caption, ‘Sure does feel like heaven.’
“Who would have known, four years to the day Chip would arrive in heaven,” Nancy Malafronte said.
Baseball was Chip Malafronte’s passion, playing at Amity and later in the West Haven Twilight League. He shared that love with John Paul, coaching him as often as he could before becoming ill. But baseball was just a small portion of their bond. Malafronte, in his ‘Sunday Gravy’ columns would almost always include anecdotes about ‘The Boy.’
“JP was his everything,” Nancy said. “His drive to fight back death in September (2019).”
She spoke of doctors preparing Chip that he would not see October, and how he fought to improve each day until he finally returned home, nurtured himself back to a position where he could walk in the doctor’s office in December and asked to be treated.
“We spent one final perfect Christmas together, one so special it was its own gift to each one of us,” Nancy said.
Nancy Malafronte shared stories of his love of music, especially Van Halen. It was a passion he shared with his sister Gina. The two often listened to bands together, watching documentaries or sneaking in episodes of ‘Daryl’s House,’ the reality show of the Hall & Oates star.
There were stories of Chip and sister Mia’s love of sports and competition. How, as kids, their yard was filled with neighborhood kids and the site of many pick-up games. Mia was always around for those games, and Nancy said, as hard as Chip tried, he could not get rid of her.
“He even told his buddies one day to tackle her, so she could go away, crying like a little girl,” Nancy said. “Well, she clotheslined one of them and after that she was one of the first ones picked when divvying up the teams.”
Chip Malafronte was cut from the basketball team in 7th, 8th and 9th grades, each time working harder in his driveway to get better. He would end up making varsity and holding the Amity school record for 3-pointers.
Malafronte had promised his son this past season he would take him to the NCAA tournament if Yale qualified. The Bulldogs did, but the tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus.
On Monday, flowers arrived at the funeral home from John Paul’s favorite NBA player, Utah Jazz guard and former Yale standout Miye Oni. A video message is expected to follow.
Malafronte, who chronicled local sports of all levels for the Register, most notably college hockey, minor league baseball and college lacrosse, continued to work until just a few weeks ago.
“Even in these last weeks, he would wave me over, wiggle his fingers, and I knew it was time for me to go grab his laptop and clear off his hospital table so he could get to work,” Nancy Malafronte said. “Amazing. Truly amazing.”
“He was a fighter, my brother, until his last breath,” Nancy Malafronte said. “The battle is over and you were the victor.”
Malafronte is survived by his son, John Paul, 12; sisters Mia Malafronte, Gina Malafronte and Nancy Malafronte, and his mother, Shirley Malafronte Fontana. Mia Malafronte previously worked at the New Haven Register as a photographer.
“He was a fighter, my brother, until his last breath. The battle is over and you were the victor.”
Nancy Malafronte