​​​San Francisco Toastmasters

Bob Maloney first came to San Francisco Toastmasters in 2018. Though he stood less than 5 feet tall, he was enthusiastic, outgoing, and eager to tell his story. He immediately became a regular guest, and quickly joined the club. Bob was unanimously voted in. We all felt something special in his enthusiasm and warmth.  

 

Bob was a club officer in multiple roles every year since becoming a member. Most of that time, he was San Francisco Toastmasters' Sergeant-at-arms.  For that reason, he was the first person we saw when the meeting started … and the first member that first-time visitors heard from.

 

Bob liked to speak, and signed up for speeches frequently.  He told the story many times and in many different ways of growing up different from the other kids … and then not growing up at all.   Bob had an unusual condition called Turner’s syndrome, which causes the diminutive stature and unfortunately other complications, including a heart defect which played a role in his passing.

 

Bob grew up in San Francisco when the hippie movement was still going strong.   But he didn’t relate to that crowd.  He wanted to be a football player.   Early in adolescence, he knew that was not going to happen.  But he managed to be around sports most of his life.  He was an usher for the San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors.  He harnessed his natural feistiness to make clear to sometimes drunk and unruly fans: don’t try to take advantage of me just because of what you see. There's more here than meets the eye.

 

There was a very giving side to Bob’s personality, which was manifested by his job as a substitute teacher.  He also coached youth athletics for many years: something he was particularly proud of.  He loved to work with young people and to see them flourish.  

 

As a substitute teacher, he had to command the attention and get the respect of adolescents, even though he was no taller than some of them.  He did so, day after day, classroom after classroom, for 20 years.

 

When we last saw Bob in a bed at the ICU at the CPMC Van Ness heart center, he was barely able to speak.  Still, he whispered a few words of appreciation and thanks to the club, and expressed yet again how much being a Toastmaster meant to him.

 

Bob Maloney passed away on Friday January 17th, 2025.   He was 68 years old.   San Francisco Toastmasters sent appreciations to his family, his workplace (Chase Center), and the hospital staff in the ICU.

 

Bob was many things: a San Francisco native, an Irish Catholic, a teacher, a coach, an usher.   And one of the things he was proudest of: being a San Francisco Toastmaster.   Bob was a key part of the SFTM community, and would do anything he could for the club. San Francisco Toastmasters and Toastmasters International were fortunate to have had him as a member and to get to know him so well.   He’s left a lasting impression with all of us: we’ll never forget him.

 

Very Sincerely,

 

Your Friends at San Francisco Toastmasters