Published on August 21, 2026 6:23 am
Last Updated on August 21, 2026 9:37 am
Kenneth (Ken) J. Maleske, age 83 of Mattoon, Illinois formerly of Plainfield, Illinois passed away at 2:20 pm, Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at Odd Fellow-Rebekah Home in Mattoon, Illinois.
A Celebration of Life in his honor will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home, 1200 Wabash Avenue, Mattoon, IL 61938. Pastor Dean Herberts will officiate. An additional visitation will be held from 10:00 AM until the time of service on Friday at the funeral home. Visitation will also be held from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the funeral home.
Ken was born on July 18th, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois, the only child of the late LaVerne (Berger) and Orville Maleske. He spent many of his childhood summers on his maternal grandparents’ farm in Merrill, Wisconsin loving farm life and the outdoors. In 1961, Ken graduated from Luther South High School, in 1963 graduated from St. John’s Lutheran Junior College and in 1965 graduated from Southwestern University in Winfield, Kansas. Ken had a passion for math, meeting new people and sports. At the urging of a good friend from St. John’s, Ken went on a blind date with a coed attending Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. That evening, he met the love of his life, Eileen Maleske. They discovered they lived only a few miles apart in suburbs of Chicago. They even had some mutual friends in Chicago. Ken and Eileen were married on July 22nd, 1967, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois. Their marriage was blessed with three sons: Ken, Kris, and Kurt. Ken began his career in printing working for RR Donnelly’s for twelve years in Chicago. In that time, he developed a love for the magazine printing industry. In 1977, Ken accepted a managerial position at World Color Press in Effingham, Illinois. He made many friends in the magazine industry. He was a vice-president at World Color Press when the company was sold in 1992.
Ken’s church and family were his priorities in life. He was active in choirs since grade school until he could no longer travel to church. He served his Lord in various positions at the various churches he attended through the years. He loved coaching church basketball teams and his sons’ baseball teams. His love of fishing, golf, and sports was shared with his sons. Ken was a diehard Chicago Bulls, Cubs, and Bears fan. He loved playing all kinds of cards and Pinochle was his favorite. In his golden years, he enjoyed jigsaw puzzles and bingo.
Ken is survived by his loving wife of fifty-nine years, Eileen, their three sons, Ken C (Christy) of Channahon, Illinois, Kris (Jodi) of Mattoon, Illinois, and Kurt of Beecher, Illinois. Also four grandchildren: Catelyn (Jake) Biesterfeld, Kegan Maleske, Anna (Caleb) Poe, and Morgan Maleske and two great-grandchildren Vanessa Maleske and Bentlee Biesterfeld. Ken also leaves some very special family members behind. Carol and Dale Proehl, Althea and Rudy Grasha, Michelle and James Thorne and family, Jennifer and Jon Mangnall and family.
Ken was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents, his in-laws Lorraine and Arthur Machtemes and his brother-in-law, Ed Machtemes.
Memorial donations in his honor may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, Region 1 Special Olympics, 1120 ½ Richmond Avenue, Mattoon, IL 61938 or St. John Lutheran Church, 22775 County Rd 700 N, Dieterich, IL 62424.