Don Maloney
It is with true sadness that I write of the passing of this man.
I met Don in 1966 when I moved from San Antonio, TX, to Oklahoma City, OK. I was told by Maurice Carver, when I left San Antonio, to look up Don about the dog business.
Mr. Carver said, "He'll (Don) bet you an ant can pull a bale of hay, or he'll bet you it can't."
That's about the way it was.
Don and I became friends immediately and stayed that way until his death. Our families were sort of raised together.
He was a family man, a true sportsman, and above all a true and tried many times dog man.
Through the years we did it all. I went all over the country with this Man, with a dog or two at a time, and win or lose we always had a good time. One time we left a dog in our opponent's front yard, went on to town some 35 miles away to spend the night, and had the match the next morning.
Don started with Earl Tudor. He told me at Earl's house that Earl wouldn't even have asked him in, except he had a Golden Gloves jacket in his back seat and a super pretty blonde with him (Claudia Maloney, Don's wife). Don personally destroyed the Dibo Dog, Tudor's Spike and Tudor's Jeff, at Earl's request, as they were in bad shape because of their age.
Don was run out of Oklahoma City over the dogs, and they were trying him in Mustang, Oklahoma at the time of his death. He was looking for another place to move if they had succeeded.
He had his flying jenny right by his house and this is where he worked his dogs. His attitude was, "I'm not violating any laws, so it's none of your business." This part never caused him any trouble.
Don was Business Agent for the Pipe Fitters and Plumbers Union, covering most of Oklahoma. He did a great job there and will be greatly missed by his Union Brothers.
He will be missed by the dog folks in general, as there were very few people in our game that did not know him or had heard of him. There are lots of people that have already said to me that they sure do miss Ole Don.
My thoughts go to his family: Claudia, Earl Dean (named after Earl Tudor), Donna, Mike, and four beautiful grandchildren.
Dog people attending his funeral, in addition to myself and Doris, included: Steve and Kathy Davis, Danny Burton, Mike Hendricks, Mike Kelly, Steve Moxley, Randy Fox, and he dear ole friend, Waymon Davis.
Here's to you, Don!
Bobby Smith
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Billy Stevens
Billy was a friend of mine and I miss him a lot.
I introduced him to the dog world, as we know it, in 1979. He was in it with all enthusiasm until his untimely death aboard a tractor while mowing grass in 1984.
Billy made quite an impression on me in those five years, as a dog man and a man in general.
He was born, raised, and buried in north Texas near Whitesboro.
He left some beautiful children, his mother, and a brother.
Still a friend, Billy.
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Roland Fontenont
Roland was 56 years of age when he passed away February 7, 1987.
Born in Mamou, Louisiana, he passed away at Lake Charles, Louisiana.
He was a good dog man, though sometimes his private life took precedence.
Still, he worked in and around the dogs and dog people most of his adult life.
A long time ago he was in the Combine of Earl Tudor, Jimmy Wimberley, Speedy Rider and Evelyn Strait.
He handled Tudor's Spike, a great 43-pounder.
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