Luke Malloy Obituary

Luke Joseph (Joe) Malloy, II

April 27, 1949 - May 3, 2025

Luke Joseph (Joe) Malloy, II, of Vesuvius, Virginia, passed away on May 3, 2025, at Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg.

Joe, son of the late William Riley Malloy and Mary Elizabeth Kavanaugh Malloy, was born on April 27, 1949, in Lynchburg. He was predeceased by his wife, Martha Mason Malloy; and brothers, William Riley Malloy, Jr., and Francis Paul Malloy.

In Lynchburg, he met the love of his life, Martha. He knew immediately that she was the one, telling his mother the following day that he was "in love." From the first time they met, Joe and Martha were inseparable. The two would eventually marry in 1973.

Joe was a graduate of E. C. Glass High School and the University of South Carolina. He earned a Master's Degree in Library Science from the University of South Carolina. Joe began his librarianship career at the University of South Carolina, Beaufort, where he lived for 10 years with his wife, Martha. Joe and Martha loved the Low Country, living in a small house near the water. However, the Blue Ridge Mountains were truly their home, and they eventually returned to Virginia to settle down. In 1985, Martha gave birth to their only child, Luke Joseph Malloy, III. Joe and Martha were loving and caring parents until the very end.

Joe worked as a librarian at Southern Seminary College in Buena Vista, Virginia, where he also coached the softball team. In 1996, upon the closure of Southern Seminary, Joe went to work on the other side of the mountain at Sweet Briar College. It was at Sweet Briar that Joe truly found his niche. He was beloved by students and faculty alike and engaged in many extracurricular activities, including softball, fly fishing, and hiking. In an article, he was described as one "cool" librarian. He was a master storyteller and writer, with several published writings. He was a skilled musician who loved bluegrass and old-time music. He played multiple instruments, including the banjo "clawhammer" style. Joe organized bluegrass and old-time music festivals, which were held annually in Buena Vista, and judged the bluegrass competition at the Virginia State Fair. His band, the Bramble and Rose, were often seen playing in the common grounds at Sweet Briar and elsewhere.

Joe's heart was in the mountains, where he and Martha lived in the community of Coffeytown, in Vesuvius, Virginia. It was there that he discovered his passion for fly fishing, a skill that he taught to many others. He participated annually in Project Healing Waters, where he guided wounded veterans. He also loved hiking with his golden retrievers and was a naturalist who knew the name of every mountain and gap in the Blue Ridge and beyond.

Joe is survived by his son, Luke J. Malloy, III, of Lynchburg; his sisters, Laura M. Sackett (Luck) of Lynchburg and Mary Helen (Molly) Malloy of Santa Fe, NM; and his sister-in-law, Polly M. Holt (Buddy) of Greenville, NC.

A visitation will be held at Westminster Canterbury of Lynchburg, 501 V.E.S. Road, Lynchburg, VA 24503, on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 4 p.m. A service will be held at the Macedonia Church, 1408 Coffeytown Rd., Vesuvius, VA 24483, on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Macedonia Community Association at the same address.

Arrangements are being handled by Bolling, Grose, & Lotts Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Buena Vista, VA.

Bolling, Grose & Lotts FH

540-261-5510