the SUN by-the-Sea
OCEAN CITY, NJ
29
“We read to know we are not alone.” - C.S. Lewis
A Genuine Love
Always Remembered by JOSH KINNEY
A poster that hangs in the library reads “Ocean City Library Director Chris Maloney loves his library!” We all know that he truly did.
“I
love that magazine, you guys do some really fantastic work,” he would often say, especially each time a new issue made its debut. “It’s really a great publication, we’re so glad to have it here.” For someone who had just moved to Ocean City to start a job as Managing Editor for The Sun, it was incredibly encouraging to hear those words from the city’s very own Library Director. In fact, before we officially started the publication, Chris Maloney gave us direction, guidance and reliable support. Every time I went to the library and saw him I could tell he truly loved his job and his town. You could get the sense that there was no place else he would rather be. Beneath his humble demeanor was passionate ingenuity, hard work and authentic appreciation. The former Library President Nancy Larrabee said that the Ocean City library was his life, testifying to his great love for the place as well as the island. For 15 years Chris served at the library before taking his position as director in 2003. On August 19, 1968 Chris was born in the town of Lewiston, N.Y. In 1986 he graduated from Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, N.J. and received a bachelor’s degree in history from Holy Family University in 1991. Chris went on to earn a master’s degree
in library science from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1994. Before joining the Ocean City Free Public Library he worked at the Pennsauken Public Library’s reference department because he enjoyed seeking the truth, wanting to find the answers to difficult questions as well as the history behind something. Maybe it was this fact about Chris that intrigued him with The Ocean City Sun. A retro throwback to the beach town’s history was certainly something that piqued his interest and he was never hesitant to tell me personality, always leaving me with words of encouragement. Chris eventually became the director of Pennsauken library, bringing the place up to speed with cutting edge technology. Groundbreaking for the Ocean City Community Center’s library expansion began in 2008, creating meeting and reading rooms, a computer center and a large non-fiction area. These ideas stemmed from Chris himself. He has been described by many at the library as a pleasure to have worked for. As a behind-the-scenes coordinator, Chris was too humble for the spotlight but enjoyed facilitating library events and activities. When former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer came to speak at the library one cold, snowy afternoon in early December, Chris was bustling around making sure attendees were comfortable as they waited for the baseball star to arrive. I asked Chris if I could get a picture of just himself with Jamie. He smiled and hesitated. “We’ll see what we can do,” he said, but I knew he wasn’t one for the attention. He rather me show off his wonderful library and the people who were enjoying it. Little did I know that would be one of the last times I’d ever see Chris. Had I known, I would have gone out of my way to make sure he truly knew how much he was appreciated. A few days later on Dec. 30 Chris suddenly went to be with the Lord. He passed away in his Somers Point home at the age of 45, leaving behind a colossal legacy and a genuine love that will always be remembered. Chris lives on now with more triumph, inspiration and influence than ever before. We at The Ocean City Sun are all richly blessed to have known such a dear friend.
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