Robert Justin Malinak

Born in Temple, Texas on October 7th, 1936, Bob developed a passion for competitive sports at an early age, and this love of sports remained a constant throughout his lifetime. Bob attended Temple High School, where he was an accomplished athlete, earning seven varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball. In his senior year as a Temple Wildcat, Bob was named to the Division 7 3A All-District basketball and baseball teams.

Even as a young man, Bob showed remarkable maturity as a leader, spending the summer months as a counselor at Camp Stewart in Hunt, Texas. Having earned his certification as a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, Bob served as Head of Waterfront at Camp Stewart, proudly teaching senior lifesaving; advanced swimming and canoeing; and organizing swim meets and canoe competitions on the Guadalupe River.

From summers in the Texas Hill Country, Bob’s path next led to Rice Institute (now Rice University) in Houston. He graduated in 1958 with a B.A. in Economics. While at Rice, he served on the Weiss College Cabinet, and his passion for sports also continued to play an integral part in his life. He was the quarterback on a team that won three consecutive intramural football championships and also on the team that won the first All-College championship. He played basketball for Weiss College, and he was a member of the Rice Owls baseball team during the 1955 and 1956 seasons. In his senior year, he combined his sports knowledge with his writing skills, as Sports Editor of The Thresher, the campus newspaper. Later, as an alumnus, he continued his unwavering support for Rice Athletics through membership in the R Association, the Rice RBI Club, and the Owl Club.

Upon graduation from Rice, Bob entered the University of Texas School of Law. There he served as Associate Editor and Symposium Editor of the Texas Law Review. He was inducted into the Order of the Coif and graduated with honors in 1961. During his law school years, Bob’s leadership on the playing field remained evident as he continued to play intramural football. For three seasons, he quarterbacked both his law school fraternity team, Phi Delta Phi, as well as his undergraduate fraternity team, Delta Tau Delta. He was twice named to the All University of Texas intramural team. Following law school, Bob went on to complete basic training for membership in the Texas Air National Guard.

In September of 1961, Bob joined the Baker Botts law firm, marking the beginning of his storied thirty-seven year career there as a trial lawyer. In 1971 he was elected to partnership and then in 1983 became a senior partner. He served as Chairman of the Trial Department and a member of the Executive Committee from 1983 to 1989.

Bob’s range of experience as a trial lawyer was substantial. At the federal level, he tried cases in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of Texas and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. He argued appeals in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eighth Circuits. At the state level, he tried cases in ten counties in Texas district courts and one in the Chancery Court of Columbia County, Arkansas. Further, he argued appeals in the Houston, Waco, and Texarkana Courts of Appeals and the Supreme Courts of Texas and Arkansas. In addition to his considerable written advocacy, Bob estimated that he tried over 100 cases. As a result of his extensive trial accomplishments, Bob was recognized as a preeminent attorney of his generation when he was elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1985.

Throughout his career Bob was a strong advocate for the development of young lawyers and the furtherance of his profession. Over the years, on many occasions Bob lectured at continuing education programs on a variety of subjects concerning substantive law and procedural litigation issues. In fact, in multiple aspects of his life, he was a natural role model for many people, due to his willingness to share his strengths and experiences to help those around him.

Bob retired from the active practice of law in 1999. For seven years thereafter, he served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and as a consultant to lawyers whose clients were parties to lawsuits involving legal issues. Bob will be remembered for his integrity, his loyalty, his wisdom, his quiet, candid style of leadership, and also the great respect he always showed toward everyone he encountered.

Bob’s professional and civic affiliations were numerous, and he was a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, and the Houston Bar Association. From 1986 to 1993, he served on the Board of Trustees of South Texas College of Law. His volunteer service included youth mentoring at The Forge, and he also served as a member of the Board of Directors there from 2002 to 2006. In addition, he was committed to his work as a reading and writing tutor at Casa de Esperanza Academy from 2007 to 2011. His dedication was honored when he was named Casa Volunteer of the Year for 2010. Bob was also a long-time member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church.

An avid reader, Bob rarely went anywhere without his current book in hand. He also enjoyed writing and authored three novels: The Girl or the Game; Roadblocks; and When the Road Ends; and one short story, “The Legend of Robert Joseph Tipton.”

After twenty-five years away from the golf course, as Bob approached the end of his career as a trial lawyer he returned to the game of golf. He was an enthusiastic and competitive golfer, spending many happy hours on the course and in the locker room with friends at River Oaks Country Club. Over the years, he won several senior championships at the club.

One of Bob’s greatest joys was traveling with his wife Joanne across the globe. During their three decades of marriage, together they visited over thirty countries and five continents.

Bob is survived by his loving wife of thirty-one years, Joanne Kelly Malinak; his brother, L. Russell Malinak; his sister, Margaret Malinak “Peggy” Long; his daughter, Anne Malinak Black, her husband, Stephen Black and their daughters, Catherine, Madelaine, and Caroline Black; his son, Robert Bradford Malinak and his wife, Heidi Krahenbuhl Malinak. He is also survived by Joanne’s daughters, Jennifer Tindall Adams, her husband Timothy D. Adams and their children, Tindall, William, and Augusta Adams; Margaret Tindall Vera and her son Hugo Vera; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and lifelong dear friends. Bob will also be greatly missed by their beloved dog, Gus.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Lewis I. Malinak and Catharine Pennington Malinak, and his wife, Carolyn Powers Malinak.

The family would like to express their appreciation to Rosy Beltran, Genise Jennings, Owen Miller, Travis Stiegman, and Gisele Ramirez for their extraordinary support of Bob in recent years.

A memorial service celebrating Bob’s life will be held at two o'clock in the afternoon on Monday, December 19th, 2022 at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Rd., Houston, Texas, where The Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr. is to officiate.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to Casa de Esperanza, P.O. Box 301209, Houston, TX 77230; to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church; or to a charity of one’s choice.