Marvin James Maloney was Born a Ramblin’ Man on January 19th, 1951 at Hotel Dieu in St. Catharines to Vincent Douglas “Doug” Maloney and Iva Gertrude Maloney ( nee Sutton )
His father, an RCAF instructor aircraft mechanic, was posted all over France, Belgium and Germany. As a child he picked up the local languages quickly, and by the time he was five, he was fluent in English, French, German and Flemish. In Marseilles, in 1956, he was sometimes called upon to do translations for the guards at local border checkpoints.
In his early teens, they were transferred back to Canada, living briefly at bases in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec…. before going back to Marseilles when he was 16, followed by a final move to the base in Trenton for his last year of high school.
In Marseille, Mike became involved with the base radio station, and the die was cast. This early introduction to broadcasting infected Mike with a lifelong love for music, sound and D.J ing. (He was very proud of the fact that he was the first person to play the Moody Blues’ album Days of Future Past on Canadian airwaves.)
Back in Canada, Mike attended Ryerson College to pursue his vocation. While in Toronto, Mike met, wooed and wed Dianne Ricker from Dunnville. After an assortment of jobs, Mike got his break and was hired to work at a radio station in Windsor as night shift DJ. This is where he started using the name Mike on air and it stuck. (Apparently “Marvin” wasn’t cool enough.)
As he and Dianne moved around Ontario, where Mike continued to work on air and took on management responsibilities, two daughters, Shayna Janet and Chelsea Rose, joined the entourage. After many Radio Stations, and a few diverse career changes, they eventually settled in Dunnville. Many years after that, Shayna gifted him with two granddaughters, Zoe and Hana.
Mike then discovered the stage, when he became involved with Dunnville Community Theatre and appeared in a number of productions. He also mentored teens as part of the DREAM Project.
Along the way, a local band was lucky enough to acquire Mike as their soundman, and he became the fifth Relic.
As a soundman, Mike was always searching for the “sweet spot.”
We hope that he’s found it.
We miss you.
Sorry for your loss Chelsea. His friends miss him.
Mike’s radio voice and positive attitude evident in every phone call he made to our house are missed. it was always a pleasure to pick up the phone to a smile and bright outlook on life at the other end.
My sincere condolences to Mike’s family and friends, he was such a very nice person and so easy to talk to. It was always nice to hear his radio stories … our own Johnny Fever, as it were. Rest in peace, Mike … rest in peace.
Sure do miss our daily coffee discussions. Mike was a pleasure to know and a very talented man. I will continue to remember him fondly.
My deepest sympathy to your family. Mike was a good person with,an abundance of knowledge. May he read in peace. Love
My condolences! ❤️