Cohorts mourn Malone's death

“(The firm is) something that he developed from nothing and took it to where we are,” said Rod Finkle, Malone’s business partner.

Phil Smith of architecture firm JPS & Associates Inc. met Malone shortly after his move to Springfield. Smith considers their friendship a blessing.

“He’s just the absolutely nicest, most giving person you could ever meet, and just an incredible teacher and a person of incredible integrity. That’s what’s made his company so successful,” he said. “If you were a friend, you were truly blessed.”

According to Finkle, Malone brought a new level of class to the local engineering industry.

“Everybody knew that Mark was there to protect the owner on every project that he was involved with. Everybody respected him because he was always so fair and honest. He was just so incredibly intelligent … and that’s the way he will be remembered,” Finkle said.

Malone was an avid golfer and fisherman, and he was named Kansas Pro-Bass Angler of the year in 1981 and 1982.

Malone is survived by his wife, Debi, two sons, two brothers and his parents. Malone’s younger brother, Kirk, died in a plane crash four years ago.