William E. Malone Jr., 79, Jasper

William E. Malone Jr., 79, of Jasper, passed away at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026, surrounded by family at Brookside Village in Jasper.

Bill was born in Evansville, Ind., on August 7, 1946, to William E. Sr. and Dorothy (Reager) Malone.

He was a 1964 graduate of North Posey High School.

He was a United States Navy veteran and served in Vietnam. He was a crew member and electrician on the USS Guadalcanal, and during his service aboard the ship, the crew recovered the GEMINI X capsule and the astronauts John Young and Michael Collins.

He worked at Eastern Electric, Evansville Electric and then retired from Jasper Electric Motors.

He was a member of the V.F.W. Post #673.

Bill enjoyed woodworking, being outdoors, fishing, riding his four-wheeler, and driving his tractor. He was very proud of his recovery and celebrated 14 years of sobriety.

He is survived by two sons, Jeromy Malone of Jasper and Josh Malone of Dale; three grandchildren, Kayanna Ashely Malone, Jerry Paul Malone, and Madison Gail Malone; one sister, Jeanette (Ron) Thornburg of Michigan; one brother, Daniel Malone of Anderson; and nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death, besides his parents, are two sisters, Nancy Lanstra and Cathy Mills.

A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026, at the Becher-Kluesner Downtown Chapel in Jasper, Indiana, with burial to follow in Shiloh Cemetery in Jasper. The VFW Post #673 will conduct military graveside rites.

Memorial contributions may be made in accordance with the wishes of the family.

Online condolences may be made at www.becherkluesner.com.