Erich Alan Malinak

Erich Alan Malinak, 47, of Houston, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, while living in Washington County at the family farm, Dewberry Hill Farm.

Alan was born in Heidelberg, Germany on October 26, 1964, to L. Russell Malinak, M.D. and Billie Ann (Chaney) Malinak, while Dr. Malinak was serving two years in the Army. Alan was the third of four boys born to Billie Ann and Russell. He was baptized by Father Bernard Goertz in Germany.

After their time in Germany, Alan and his family moved back to Houston, Texas, where he grew up. He graduated from St. Cecilia elementary school and St. Thomas High School, where he played basketball all four years, graduated near the top of his class and was part of the State TCIL runner-up basketball team of 1983. Alan went on to the University of Texas at Austin, from which he graduated with a BA in Business Administration in 1987. While at UT, he was a member of the UT water skiing team and the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and was a terror to all he faced in intramural basketball, the fraternity dunk-hoop competitions, and the St. Thomas alumni basketball tournaments.

After graduating from UT, Alan became a heart pacemaker manufacturer’s representative for Sulzer Intermedics in Phoenix, Arizona, eventually rising to become one of just two Principal Representatives for Sulzer Intermedics for the state of Arizona. On February 14, 1998, he was married to Angela Frank in Scottsdale, Arizona by Deacon Michael, and had two lovely daughters, Avery (7) and Abigail (9). Alan and his family moved back to Texas in 2011 for career reasons and to be closer to family.

Alan had an incredible sense of humor and loved his family first and foremost, but also novels, sunflower seeds (in the shell), laughing with friends, basketball, golf, his work, poker, bridge and Mexican food. He was strong and fearless and loved snow skiing, water skiing and jumping out of high places into water. He went bungy-jumping and sky-diving in his lifetime.

Loving family who survives include: Alan’s wife, Angela; his daughters, Avery and Abigail; his father, Dr. L. Russell Malinak; his brothers, Michael, Jeff and wife Ria, and Travis and wife Cindy; his nephews and nieces (all Malinaks) Colin, Ryan, Kevin, Kristen, David, Brooke and Savannah; and his parents-in-law, Benhart and Carolyn Frank of Burnet, Texas.

Funeral services will be Sunday, July 22, at 1:30 p.m. in Brenham Memorial Chapel. Father Brendan Cahill will officiate. Burial will follow in the Dewberry Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Michael, Jeff, Travis and Colin Malinak, Tim Parker, Ben Frank and Blair Schlossberg.

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham, TX 77833. 979.836.3611 www.brenhammemorialchapel.com