On Friday, March 20, 2026, John Steven Malley, 78, of Bristol, Connecticut, passed away. Charles and Mae (Grivois) Malley welcomed him into the world on September 12, 1947, in Bristol. Over the years, he lived in Meriden and New Britain, but he always managed to return home. He spent his last years in the city where he started, surrounded by his loved ones and the old streets.
John attended St. Joseph’s Parochial School and graduated from Bristol Central High School in 1965. He was a bright child, the kind of student who took naturally to books and ideas. He became a first-generation college student, earning a degree in English from the University of Connecticut.
That love of language, of stories, of words carefully chosen, stayed with him throughout his life. He carried himself with the quiet confidence of someone who had read widely and thought deeply, but he never used his intelligence to make others feel small. Instead, he shared it gently, with patience and warmth.
Those who knew him remember a man of caring nature and quick wit. He had a joyful sense of humor, the kind that could surface at unexpected moments and leave people smiling. He was patient, a quality that served him well as a father and grandfather. He listened more than he spoke, but when he spoke, his words had weight. He was the kind of person who made you feel that what you had to say mattered.
John is survived by his daughter, Rachel Malley; his son, Justin Malley, and daughter-in-law, Tabetha Malley; and the mother of his children, Linda Malley. His grandchildren, Raina Lambert, Quinn Malley, and Reid Malley, brought him great joy. He is also survived by his stepchildren, Amanda Hilliker, Ian Hilliker, and Kiel Hilliker, and their mother, Lisa Keith. They were all part of the life he built, the family he loved.
The O’Brien Funeral Home on Lincoln Avenue in Bristol will have calling hours on Friday, March 27, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until the funeral ceremony begins at 7:15 p.m. It will be an occasion for those who knew John to get together, reminisce, and pay tribute to a guy who made a lasting impression on everyone who came into contact with him. The burial will take place at a time that works for the family.
John was 78 years old. He was a son of Bristol, a first-generation college graduate, a father, a grandfather, a friend. He loved words and stories and the quiet pleasure of a well-turned phrase. He was patient and kind, quick-witted and warm. He spent his final years in the city where he was born, surrounded by the people he loved, and when he left, he took with him a lifetime of memories that those who remain will carry forward.