Mr. Malcolm Alan Earhart Jr.

***NOTE: A CELEBRATION OF LIFE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MR. MALCOLM ALAN EARHART JR. WILL BE HELD SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2026 AT THE DOUGLASS COMMUNITY CENTER IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN. ***PLEASE SEE SERVICE TIMES, LOCATION & DIRECTIONS BELOW ______________________ The Obituary On Tuesday, March 31st, after a courageous battle with cancer, Malcolm Alan Earhart, Jr. was called home to rest. He lived a life defined by service—to his country, his community, and above all, his family. Whether in a courtroom, a classroom, or a committee meeting, he showed up with dedication and integrity that left a lasting mark on everyone he encountered. Born on September 25, 1945 in Gulfport, Mississippi to the late Malcolm Alan Earhart and the late Neatie Inez Chaney Earhart, Malcolm came to Kalamazoo at just six months old—a city that would become the throughline of his life. He graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School on June 13, 1963, and went on to attend Kellogg Community College before life called him in several directions at once. On August 26, 1967, Malcolm married the love of his life, Brenda Prater Earhart, beginning a partnership that would span 58 years and a lifetime of memories. On March 8, 1968, he was drafted into the United States Army, where he served with distinction, earning the rank of Sergeant before receiving an honorable discharge on December 22, 1969. He returned home to continue building the life he and Brenda had begun — earning a Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University on June 17, 1970. Malcolm welcomed his daughter Mallori Lockett in 1966, and together, he and Brenda grew their family with the arrival of daughter Tiombe Kai Bey-Woodson in 1972 and son Malcolm Alan Earhart III in 1981. Malcolm's career in education began that same fall, when he joined Kalamazoo Public Schools as a teacher at Hillside Middle School, where he spent four dedicated years shaping young minds. His pursuit of justice then took him south to Houston, Texas, where he attended Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, graduating on May 12, 1978. He moved to Detroit shortly after and, in February 1980, began his career as a prosecuting attorney—a role in which he proved himself a formidable and principled advocate. In August 1987, Malcolm and Brenda returned to Kalamazoo, where he established his private practice. His legal career continued to reach new heights when, in the early 1990s, he argued a case that advanced all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Throughout his years in Kalamazoo, he remained deeply engaged in civic life, lending his expertise to committees serving the City, Kalamazoo Public Schools, and the NAACP. In 2008, the City of Kalamazoo honored him with a Certificate of Appreciation for his many years of dedicated service. Beyond his professional life, Malcolm was known for the richness of his relationships. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Brenda, and his sister, Beatrice Inez Ross, and is survived by his three children, Mallori Lockett (Quincy), Tiombe Bey-Woodson (J'Nairo), and Malcolm Earhart III, grandchildren Tori Zackery, Tariq Zackery, Terrance Zackery II, Joshua Schenk, J'Nairo Bey-Woodson, and Kahlil Bey-Woodson, and special niece Lilian Ross. He is also survived by his sisters and brother-in-law Eva Prater, Mary Prater Demby, Daisy Prater Tillman, Willie Simpson, and Dr. Wesley Prater (Gwen), lifelong friends Mike Williams and Walter Worthy, and a host of family and friends whose lives he made richer simply by being in them.

Mr. Malcolm Alan Earhart Jr.

September 25, 1945 - March 31, 2026