Wales- Joseph John Malzenski Jr., 66, passed away in Springfield, MA on Tuesday, January, 27, 2026. He was lovingly brought into this world on May 9th 1959 In Springfield, MA by his late parents, Joseph Malzenski Sr. and Mary Ann (Bradlenski) Malzenski, both of Palmer, MA. He is survived by his wife, Carol Blair, of Wales; his sister, Tina (Malzenski) Raymond and brother-in-law, Richard Raymond, of Palmer; nieces, Mary (Raymond) Mazur and Emily Raymond, both of Ware; and his nephew, Philip Raymond, of Palmer. He also leaves behind his cat “Randy”, many cousins whom he loved very much, and countless friends that he cherished many moments with over the years. 

Joseph grew up in Palmer, MA and attended Pathfinder Tech School, graduating in 1977. Immediately following his graduation, he began working at Monson State Developmental Center in Monson. There he performed many duties, mainly as the locksmith for the facility until it's closure in 2012. Joseph then worked as a locksmith at UMASS Amherst until his retirement from the state in 2019. Joseph then went on to work for the Town of Wales, MA, at the Wales transfer station for 5 years until his retirement from there. 

Affectionately known as “Joe Mal” by his many friends and family, he had various interests and passions. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved to hunt and fish. He would go up to Maine every year for a few weeks with his pals on their yearly hunting trip, which was always a very cherished time by him. He also loved hunting for “treasures” and it was always a thrill for him when he found one. His love for fishing was a lifelong endeavor and one of his proudest moments was finally being able to buy a fishing boat for the ocean. It was there he spent a lot of his retirement with his nephew and many friends, most notably on the coasts of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Cape Cod, as well as fishing any other body of water he could wet a line. 

Joseph was an incredible handyman who could fix or build anything and if he couldn’t, he would try his hardest to figure out how. He always made sure he had every tool for the job, was always prepared, and wouldn’t leave home without making sure he had everything he needed. For those who knew him, he was a great storyteller. He had a unique way of telling stories where he would use his entire body to animate his words and using many inflections of his voice that had friends and family in tears of laughter over the years. He was also quite the romantic and adored his wife Carol and their storybook romance, showering her with affection and thoughtful gifts over their years together. He was incredibly generous to anyone he met and always would put anyone’s needs before his own, always departing with “Happy Trails”. 

Joseph loved routine and would always make sure to join his friends at the Monson American Legion every Friday to play his numbers and have a beer. Joseph would routinely unwind after a long day in front of the TV with his signature Marlboro Reds and a Heineken. A celebration of life will be held at a later date and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made at Dakin Humane Society, 171 Union St. Springfield, MA 01105.