MALESICH, Rudolph "Rudy"

Rudolph “Rudy” Malesich, a lifelong resident of Leadville, passed away at Porter Hospice in Denver, on Dec. 28, after a long illness. He was 92 years old. As a youngster, he began what was to be a long life of hard work, first to support his mother and sister after the death of his father in 1929, and then to support his wife and family after his marriage to Josephine Zakraisek in 1944. He began his working career as a dishwasher at the Rosemont Café in Leadville, followed by 12 years as a baker at the Zaitz Mercantile Company. In December 1941, he entered the U.S. Army and separated from the Army in 1946 with the rank of staff sergeant. After his military service, he owned Rudy’s Modern Bakery at the Zaitz store for one year, and then became a delivery person for the Zaitz grocery department. Malesich left Zaitz’s in 1948 to work at the Resurrection Mine where he stayed until 1952 when he went to work for Allison Bauman, a contracting firm which built Pitts Elementary School and the junior high school in Leadville. This work was followed by employment with Peltus Construction erecting houses at Climax, with Parks Machinery erecting a by-product plant at Climax, with Ryan Brothers Construction, and with the smelter in Stringtown. Malesich was then hired by Climax Molybdenum Company where he worked for 14 years, including 12 years as a shift boss for the concrete forms crew. During a six-month period in 1961 when there was a strike at Climax, Malesich worked for Craftsman Construction, which built Lake County High School. He retired from Climax in 1974 and found employment with the school district as a maintenance man where he worked for 16 years and after which he really retired. Malesich’s long life was filled with many interests, the first of which was his family, followed closely by his many friends, his love of his church and his God, carpentry, woodworking, his love of the automobile, and his dogs Toughy and Saber. He maintained lifelong memberships in the KSKJ and SNPJ Slovenian lodges and was very proud of his Slovenian heritage. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Josephine; his children George Malesich, Rudy Malesich and Betty Armstrong; his grandchildren Tamara, Megan, Sheila and Heather; his great-grandson Jackson; and his many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and his only sister Anna Shober. Recitation of the rosary for Malesich was held both in Denver at the Archdiocese of Denver Mortuary and in Leadville at St. Joseph Church where he was a lifelong parishioner. His funeral Mass was held at St. Joseph Church on Jan. 5, followed by interment at St. Joseph Cemetery. Pallbearers were Frank Shober, Rudy Shober, Bill Skala, Ray Dawson, Marcus Tipton and Ryan Laine. Malesich will be sadly missed by his family and his many friends. If an epitaph were to be inscribed on his gravestone, it would read, “Rudy was truly a great man.” Herald Democrat - 2007