Richard Malik

Born the second son of John and Mary Malik, Rich came into the world a tiny preemie, small enough to rest in one of his Dad’s enormous hands. But he grew big and strapping and possessed a fine mind with a particular affinity for numbers. He accurately remembered how many dollars he’d won in playoff bets over decades and could calculate profit and loss ratios on the fly. He was a lifelong saver from his various jobs over the years from mowing neighborhood lawns, scooping ice cream at Dolly Madison, washing golf balls at Putt Putt, unpacking merchandise at the Disney Store or counting the cash drawers after daily close-out at King Soopers - where he soon became the company floral buyer. He chose to cut his pay in half when his Dad asked him to join the family business, Bonsai Nursery, bringing both his numerical fluency and love of flowers. He spent the next thirty-five years working with his parents, two brothers, sister-in-law, extended family, friends and conscripts, where he could often be found tending his glorious, giant geraniums and keeping track of his customer’s blossom color preferences year after year. He took special pride in selecting premium Concolor fir Christmas trees for symmetry and ornament capacity. Like all of the Malik men, he was a hard worker, but not averse to sneaking away to bring back breakfast burritos or ice cream for the gang.

Rich always kindled the spirit of childhood within himself and never stopped loving toys and holidays. He enthusiastically carried on the child-oriented family traditions with pumpkin carving, extravagant Easter egg hunts and his legendary Christmas socks for not only his loved ones, but also for children who otherwise might have done without if not for his generosity. His thriftiness financed his giving nature and it gave him joy to share - especially items he found on sale. He reveled in baking and cooking using his Mom’s recipes, with a special passion for summer jellies that were gifted to many appreciative fan always remembering everyone’s favorite flavor. He lived for Thanksgiving dinner with an obsession for vast amounts of gravy and dressing that sustained him from the freezer through the long winter months. Christmas was cherished deeply in his giving heart for its shopping opportunities and an unbridled abundance that spilled from him with glee in finding the perfect gifts for everyone on his list, especially his three beloved goddaughters. He loved all the kids and often showed it by giving each their own ridiculous nickname - a tradition carried on from his boyhood on South Irving Street with its schoolyard baseball, front lawn croquet and marathon summertime Monopoly games. All of these fine attributes allowed everyone to overlook his sometimes curmudgeonly nature because deep down, we knew he had a heart of gold.

Rich will be deeply missed by his siblings, who are now only four of the expected Malik five, his extended family, friends and customers. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you send donations to Young Americans Center for Financial Education https://p2p.onecause.com/yacenter-memorial-gifts/memorial/remembering-rich-malik which teaches kids experiential financial literacy so they can earn and manage their money wisely - gifts that would honor a solid childhood saver who spent his hard-earned money on the important things in life.