Anthony J. Malachino

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Funeral services will be held for New Iberia resident Anthony J. Malachino, a former U.S. Navy veteran and retired Acadian Composites employee, who passed away at 7:52 a.m. on May 22, 2024, at Calcutta House at Hospice of Acadiana in Lafayette after a month and a half long illness. He was 81 years old.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at First Assembly of God Church in Youngsville, with Pastor Joe Cormier officiating.

Burial will follow at Holy Family Cemetery and Mausoleum in New Iberia, with military honors.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday, May 31, 2024, and from 8 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at the First Assembly of God Church, 3555 Verot School Road in Youngsville.

He was born on the 11th of June 1942, in Utica, New York, and was the oldest child of Joseph Anthony Malachino and Nancy Irene Palladino Malachino. He was also the first grandchild to be born in the United States of Italian immigrants who came to this country from Scandale in the province of Crotone in Italy.

He grew up in Utica and at the age of 18 he joined the armed forces and served two years in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged following a knee injury. While in the Navy he was stationed in New Iberia at the former U.S. naval airbase now known as Acadiana Regional Airport and it was there where he met his future wife Charlotte Diane Chaisson. On November 3, 1961, the two were united in matrimony after which the couple returned to Utica where they lived for a year or so before moving back to Louisiana, making New Iberia their home. He first went to work as a milkman for Pelican Creamery and then moved on to selling insurance for Union National Life for a short period of time. He also worked as a salesman for a long time at the Lafayette location of Bologna Brothers Imports, based out of New Orleans. He then later segued into painting aircraft and worked for Pride Aviation before moving on to Petroleum Helicopters Inc. and then finally to Acadian Composites of Lafayette, a division of Bell Helicopters, a unit under aviation conglomerate Textron Inc., where he spent the majority of his career until he retired.

In 1995, Tony took a leave of absence from work to go into the mission field. He worked with children from Uganda, Rowanda and Kenya. He traveled with the African Children’s Choir, as a chaperone for eighteen months, as they toured the United States and Canada. He was commissioned into the ministry and served as a Care Pastor for three years at the First Assembly of God church in Youngsville. A few of his hobbies were playing league baseball for Pelican Creamery, fishing, traveling and cooking, which he was really good at. He especially loved spending time with his family and most of all his grandchildren. To him, family was always important.

He will be sadly missed by all.

He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years Charlotte Diane Chaisson Malachino of New Iberia; and his youngest brother David Malachino of Hinsdale, Massachusetts. He also leaves behind his three children: one son, Loren Malachino (Giuseppe Castelli) of Viareggio, Italy; and two daughters, Melanie Malachino Dorè of Youngsville and Cherè Malachino Tenney (Chance Tenney) of New Iberia; as well as his beloved grandchildren Michael Paul Hollier (Kiera T’nay) of New Iberia, Bree Hollier Galewski (Jason) of Lafayette, Alise Hollier Thibodaux (A.J) of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Zoe Dorè of Lafayette, Daphne Dorè of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Lacy Dorè of New Iberia. He also leaves behind his wonderful and loving great-grandchildren Riff Hollier, Maddie Galewski, Roman, Maci, Axel Thibodaux and Baby Romero due in November; and many nieces, nephews and cousins throughout the United States and Italy.

He is predeceased by his grandparents Antonio (Malacari) Malachino and Maria Giancotti, Antonio Palladino and Giuseppina Soldato; his parents Joseph Anthony Malachino and Nancy Irene Palladino Malachino; his brother Joseph Anthony Malachino Jr.; and his sister Mary Jo Malachino.

Pallbearers will be Loren Malachino, Chance Tenney, Michael Hollier, Jason Galewski, AJ Thibodaux, Vien Nguyen, Ken Trahan and Phil Sonnier.

To view the online obituary, view the movie presentation and sign the online guest register, visit www.evangelinefuneralhome.com.

Evangeline Funeral Home of New Iberia is in charge of arrangements.