Donald Richard Malin

Donald Richard “Pug ” Malin passed away on November 25, 2015, at the Keller Oaks
Health Care Center in Dallas Texas. He was 87 years old. He was born on November 19,
1928, in Indianola to Anthony and Mary Malinowski of Acmetonia, Pennsylvania. He went to
Connelly Vocational High School from 1943 to 1945. On July 13, 1946, he joined the Navy. He
served on the USS Providence and received a World War II Victory Medal. He was discharged
July 14, 1948, with an Honorable Discharge.
He started working at Allis Chalmers where he met Betty Louise Beno. They were married
October 1, 1952. Don worked for Blawnox Steel in Pittsburgh, PA. He also worked for HDR in
Tampa Florida.
Soccer was his passion. He started to play when he was at Connelley Vocational High
School. After High School he played for the Allegheny Valley League where he caught the eye
of Harmarville players. In 1951 he was invited to join Harmarville Hurricanes. He helped the
Hurricanes win two National Cups. (The National Cup was to soccer what the Stanley Cup is
to Hockey). In 1952 he made the final tryout for the U.S. Olympic soccer team in St. Louis. He
was the alternate goalie. Though he never played in the 1952 Olympics he went on to an
extensive international career. In 1952 he played for U.S. teams against all-star teams from
Sweden and Germany. He helped the U.S. team go undefeated at the World Cup eliminations
in Haiti in 1953. He competed for the United States All Star Soccer team in 1953 International
All-Star games against some of England’s best players in New York’s Yankee Stadium. He
competed for the United States in the World Cup Americas zone elimination in Mexico City in
1954. He made it to the final Olympic Soccer trials in 1956. He was referred to as the “Iron
Curtain Goalie” by the press in his soccer days. He was recognized nationally and
internationally for his goalie skills. He was inducted into the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of
Fame in May 18, 1991.
Don is survived by his wife, Betty Lou Beno Malin, and their three children, Rev. Don
Malin, and his wife Bess Sutherland Malin and daughter Tara Chambers Mills and her husband,
Andrew Mills and great grandson Zach Mills; Valerie Malinowski Williamson and her husband
Dale Williamson and their two daughters Mary and Jenni Williamson; Mark Malin and his wife
Marcia Craddock Malin and their two sons Joel Malin and his wife Loren Robertson Malin and
Steven Malin and his wife Stephanie Ryan Malin.
In lieu of flowers, to honor Don's military service, the family requests that donations
be made to CrossSwords Connection, P.O. Box 12143, Birmingham Alabama 35202.
www.CrossSwords.org