Achilles William Malet III

Achilles William Malet III

01/20/1937 - 09/07/2024

Achilles William “Bill” Malet III passed away on September 7th following a brief illness precipitated by COVID. He was 87. A teacher, tinkerer, gardener, birdwatcher, and avid tennis player, Bill prioritized family above all. He was also distinctly community-minded and had a tremendous capacity to be helpful, to the benefit of all who knew him. He is survived by his two children and their spouses, Alicia and Tom Klein and Charlie and Colleen Malet; his four grandchildren Alex Klein (Kristy), Mak Klein (Siri), Elle Malet (Dayne), and Julia Malet; two great-grandchildren, Luca and Ava Klein; sister Lisa Malet; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. His first wife Diane, of 30 years; second wife Susan, of 20 years; and sister Julie preceded him in death.

 Bill was born in Flushing, New York, in 1937 to parents Rosa and Bill. At age ten, the family moved to California and became part of the Italian American community in the Gerstle Park neighborhood of San Rafael. Childhood memories included hunting for frogs in the marsh that is now Davidson Middle School, watching donkey softball at Albert Park, and hawking the Independent Journal on a 4th Street corner. He attended Short School, E Street Grammar School, and San Rafael High School, where he was senior class president for the Class of 1954. He remained closely tied to the school, his friends, and fellow alums throughout his life.

 After a short time at the College of Marin, Bill joined the army and spent two years in Korea as a supply clerk. Upon his return, he enrolled at Cal Berkeley to study political science and education and joined Delta Upsilon, where he made lifelong friends—about a week before his last illness, he enjoyed a lunch with a few of his fraternity brothers.

While at Cal, Bill also met his first love, Diane Brovelli. They graduated and were married in 1961, and he followed his calling and became a 6th-grade teacher in South San Francisco. Living in the Sunset District, they welcomed their children, Alicia in 1962 and Charlie in 1965, while Bill completed a master's degree at San Francisco State. During this time, he had quite a few interesting side jobs, such as driving a cab in the city and teaching at San Quentin’s night school, and simultaneously took up tennis with Diane and built a sailboat, a bay-sturdy Pelican that he named the Ali Chas.

 Tiring of summers that felt like winter, the family moved to San Anselmo in 1969, where they made many wonderful friends. Bill dove into the community of Sleepy Hollow, beginning his involvement with both the homes association and the tennis club that would last for decades. His neighbors referred to him as the mayor of Green Valley Court, and he worked closely with the county and local school on many issues that affected the neighborhood. In these years, an August week in Tahoe with family and friends was always a highlight. Bill taught in San Rafael until the late 1970s, when changes brought about by the passage of Prop 13 forced him to leave the profession and launch his 19-year career with the phone company.

 Sadly, Bill lost Diane to cancer in 1992. Nine years later, he met his second love, Sue Edwards (previously Bender), also a keen tennis player, and they were married just a few months later, bringing her four children, their spouses, and 11 more grandchildren into his life.

Bill’s retirement years were filled with travels worldwide with Sue, substitute teaching throughout Marin County, hours spent with his hand on a tennis racket or eyes on a bird, and lots of time with family. His grandchildren reveled in his wheelbarrow rides, absorbed information about the natural world, and learned to appreciate trips to the dump.

Sue passed in 2021, and Bill left the loneliness of his home to join the vibrant community of The Redwoods, where he had a meaningful last chapter filled with new friends and engaging activities. The loving caregivers of Loyal Fijian aided his final months of life, and so did the kind people at The Vincent in San Rafael and Suncrest Hospice.

Bill will be remembered for his rational perspective and curious mind, reliability and steadfastness, subtle humor, ability to listen well and praise specifically, resourceful problem-solving hacks with scrap materials, and deep commitment to family.

A celebration of his life will be held at 4pm on Wednesday, October 2nd at Monte’s Chapel of the Hills in San Anselmo, a reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory to the Audubon Society are greatly appreciated. 

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