Malone, Chris "Floater"
68, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in 1953 to Edna (O’Toole) and Arthur “Paddy” Malone in Boston, MA. Growing up in the Boston area he enjoyed sports and excelled as a runner. He was a member of the 1971 state champion track team at Catholic Memorial High School and earned a scholarship to Brandeis University. After graduating with a BA in Economics, Chris worked for a production company, staging local events, which led him to join the “Born to Run” tour with Bruce Springsteen. He found his passion for rock and roll, touring the country as a roadie with multiple bands that are now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Tom Petty, Rod Stewart, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Stevie Nicks. Chris became a father to a stepdaughter and two children of his own with former wife Kathy Guenther. He and his family moved to Minnesota in 1987 for his new job as house electrician at Paisley Park where his career expanded into film and video production for big screen movies and commercials, including Grumpy Old Men and Beautiful Girls. In 1992 he met and fell in love with his best friend and soul mate, Sally Carlson. They were married in 1993 and made their home in NE Minneapolis. Chris was a smart, funny, thoughtful, stubborn and fun-loving man. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, entertaining them with stories of his wild youth spent on the road and spouting baseball stats and opinions of players and teams. He was thrilled when his beloved Red Sox finally won the World Series in 2004.
He and Sally loved to travel, and they saw much of the US, along with Australia and Scotland. Captivated by the land of his ancestors, they traveled to Ireland 5 times, where he was often mistaken for a local. Chris was most proud of becoming a grandpa. Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Edna and Arthur; and mother- and fatherin-law, Chris and Sidney Carlson. He is survived by his devoted wife Sally; daughter Taylor (Chance Brown), son Evan, stepdaughter Carrie Guenther; granddaughter Odette Brown; brothers, Brian (Claudia), Craig, Mark (Laura), Neil (Sue); sister-in-law Kathy (Bruce) McCabe, brother-in-law Ron (Sara) Carlson; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to Second Harvest Heartland, local food shelf, or your local bartender. A Celebration of Life is in the works for this free spirit, details to follow - please check with your local Malone. As Chris often quoted from his time spent on The Go-Go’s 1982 tour, “Life is gamble, have bash”.
He and Sally loved to travel, and they saw much of the US, along with Australia and Scotland. Captivated by the land of his ancestors, they traveled to Ireland 5 times, where he was often mistaken for a local. Chris was most proud of becoming a grandpa. Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Edna and Arthur; and mother- and fatherin-law, Chris and Sidney Carlson. He is survived by his devoted wife Sally; daughter Taylor (Chance Brown), son Evan, stepdaughter Carrie Guenther; granddaughter Odette Brown; brothers, Brian (Claudia), Craig, Mark (Laura), Neil (Sue); sister-in-law Kathy (Bruce) McCabe, brother-in-law Ron (Sara) Carlson; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to Second Harvest Heartland, local food shelf, or your local bartender. A Celebration of Life is in the works for this free spirit, details to follow - please check with your local Malone. As Chris often quoted from his time spent on The Go-Go’s 1982 tour, “Life is gamble, have bash”.