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Avon Lee Malone
A Tribute To Avon Malone Our beloved friend and brother, Avon Malone, passed from earth life to shores eternal on Monday, June 16th. In the words of David, upon learning of the death of Abner, "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel" (II Sam. 3:38). Avon was indeed a "prince" among God's people today and a truly great man. Avon was one of the very finest preachers in the brotherhood. As a pulpiteer he had few, if any, peers. He possessed an amazing mental capacity, having committed to memory large portions of sacred Scripture, history, and poetry. His immediate recall of so much information, and his ability to present it powerfully and flawlessly was captivating to those privileged to hear him. Avon was not only one of the most outstanding preachers among us from the mid-1950s till deteriorating health robbed him of his strength, but he was also a great, great teacher of God's word. Some men are excellent preachers, but not the best of teachers, or visa versa, but Avon excelled in both preaching and teaching. His overall knowledge of God's word was second to none. He was extremely conversant with the entirety of the Bible, teaching from all its books over the years. But especially was he widely known and recognized for his expertise on Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. To hear him lecture on these was truly a spiritual feast. Above and beyond all these fantastic capabilities that were his, however, the most significant one thing to my mind was his unwavering devotion to the Christ who gave His life for us all. He loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart. And no one could "handle" the theme of God's eternal purpose in Christ better than Avon. The greatest presentation I ever heard on this subject was given by him in 1969 at the Abilene Christian College Bible Lectureship. It was indeed a masterpiece. Avon taught for eleven years as a member of the Bible Department at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and for fourteen years on the Bible Department at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City. Also, he taught in three Schools of Preaching: The Preston Road School in Dallas, the Bear Valley School in Denver, and since the Fall of 1999 with the Brown Trail School in Bedford, a suburb of Ft. Worth. There is no way to calculate how many lives Avon impacted for good and truth. Think of all the young people he taught as indicated above. And think of the thousands influenced by his "true to the Book" preaching. There is no telling how many precious souls will be in heaven because of his work in the kingdom. In addition to all these accomplishments mentioned, Avon authored four tracts, wrote a book on Philippians entitled Press To The Prize and another on Ephesians entitled The Purpose And The People. With his brother, David, he co-authored the book, Drawn To Christ, which portrays the life and work of their late, lamented father, Joe Malone. Avon was a very dear friend of mine for 49 years. I will always cherish his memory, and rejoice in the good he did while living and the victory in Christ he obtained in death. His friendship I wills cherish. We all love you, Avon, and will never forget you! God's rest for His people you so richly deserve (Heb. 4:9; Rev. 14:13). You indeed "fought the good fight," you "finished the course," and you "kept the faith" (II Tim. 4:7). No doubt the Lord will say to you, "Well done thou good and faithful servant!"
Avon is survived by his wife of many years, the former Mary
Ann Hart, and three children: two daughters, Glenda and Lavon; one son, Nathan;
and three grandsons. And by one brother, David and his wife, Ann. We express our
deepest and heartfelt sympathy to them all.
Directions To The Grave Of Avon Malone The grave of
Avon Malone is
located in Colleyville, Texas between Gravevine and Ft. Worth. On Hwy 26 in
Colleyville, heading east you will see the Bluebonnett Hills Cemetery, 5725
Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, Texas, on your
right. Enter at the eastern most entrance (closest to the mausoleums) and
proceed into the cemetery. You will turn to the first left, passing in front of
the mausoleum. Go on around until you come to the first left that begins
traveling up the hill. Begin looking to your left. You will pass "Garden of
Devotion" and "Babylon I" section. Stop the car and look to the left looking in
the distance for a ball field just beyond the edge of the cemetery. The grave
will be in the Northeast corner of "Garden Of Wisdom" section. toward the edge
of the cemetery.
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