My dads obituary.

Gary Allen Malloy, 64, a former longtime em- ployee of Boomtown, died Monday at his home in Reno with family at his side. "Mike," as he was known by family and friends, passed away after almost a two-year battle with colon cancer. Mike, known for his friendly smile and sense of humor, was popular with his fellow employees and customers during his 24-year career at Boomtown. Some customers made a point of calling Mike after his retirement in 2006.

"One of my favorite parts of the job was customer relations," Mike said before his death. "I met a lot of wonderful people." And customers met a wonderful person in return. Whether at work or at play, Mike treated almost everyone with courtesy and respect. He was the guy who would wave others ahead of him in a long line of traffic, return a shopping cart to its proper place and give a generous tip to the person driving a drink cart on the golf course. His upbeat personality made the day a bit brighter for anyone he touched.

To his family, Mike was a favorite son, the best brother, husband and father in the world, a role model, a mentor and best friend rolled into one. He will be missed, and forever remembered. Mike was born May 29, 1944 in Great Bend, KS, the son of Charles T. and Veta Malloy. The family later moved to Idaho where Mike attended schools in Kellogg and Wallace, where he graduated in 1962. While in Wallace in the early 1960's, Mike was an All-Star in his Babe Ruth baseball league and played on the Wallace American Legion team.

Mike joined the Navy after graduation, then joined his family in Coeur d' Alene briefly where he attended North Idaho College. He moved to the Lake Tahoe area in 1966, then to Reno where he earned a degree in psychology from the University of Nevada.

He is survived by his wife, Carol, children Ryan and Tammy of Reno; his mother of Dalton Gardens, ID; sisters Marian of Moses Lake and Dorothy of Spokane, brother Chuck of Boise, step-children Pamela, Lisa, Jeff, 12 grandchildren and six nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his father, sister Sharlee and nephew Merritt Ashley.