In Memoriam - Import Auto Supply

JOHN AZIZ MALKI, a resident of San Bernardino since 1958, passed away Friday, November 12, 2004. He was 79 years old. John is survived by his wife of 41 years, Linden; his sons John Jr. and David; his daughters Mary Cariaga and Zeny Androus; six grandchildren: Brent, Emily, and Steven Cariaga, Colby and Conner Androus, and Nathan Malki; his brothers Elias Malki of Upland and Peter Malki of Escondido; his sisters Zeny Ward of Vista, Rebecca Noma of Northridge, Sarah Pourciau of Oceanside, and Rashael Malki of Upland; and a large extended family.

John was born in Beiruit, Lebanon, on August 17, 1925, and was the oldest of his parents' eleven children. Throughout the 1940s and 50s he worked in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria as a mechanic, contractor and entrepreneur. He came to America in 1956 under the Eisenhower refugee immigration allowance, sponsored by a Presbyterian minister in Columbus, Indiana.

John arrived in California in 1957, and opened his auto repair shop in San Bernardino in 1960. Malki Automotive Service was the first import-only auto repair shop in San Bernardino, and it has been in business at its current location on 9th St. since 1969.

In May 1963, John returned to Lebanon, and it was on a Dutch freighter between New York and Beirut that he first met his wife, Linden Lovegren of Spokane, Washington. They were married on July 2, 1963 in Beirut.

John was a respected figure in the community; an avid private pilot; and a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church, the Civil Air Patrol, the Experimental Aircraft Association, and the Automotive Service Council of California. .

Services were held Thursday, November 18, at 10:00 AM at Calvary Baptist Church, 3701 N. Sierra Way, San Bernardino, CA 92405. The family requests that memorial donations be made to the Calvary Baptist Church Fire Rebuild Fund, at the address above. For more information about this fund, call (909) 882-2564.

The San Bernardino Sun 11/16/04