Obituary of Godfrey Carl Malchoff

Sodus, NY: Age 96. Passed away peacefully at his home on October 27, 2017. “Doc” was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Celestine “Celey” in 1997 and by his parents Carl C. and Jane Malchoff.

He is survived by his three children; Sally Feldman of Solon, OH, Carl (Diana) Malchoff of West Hartford, CT, and Kevin (Cindy) Malchoff of Lake View, NY;  eight grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; his sister Elinor Abplanalp of Phelps, NY and brother Keith (Delores) Malchoff of Clyde, NY, his AFS exchange student Tim (Lu) Alves, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Doc was a native of Clyde, NY. Upon graduation from Cornell University he began his career as a Cornell Cooperative Extension agent in several counties in upstate NY. In 1954 Doc and Celey moved to Sodus, NY with their three children where he sold agriculture chemicals for Barker Chemical Corporation. In 1963 he and several colleagues launched Agchem Service Corporation. The team at Agchem worked closely with fruit and vegetable growers in New York State and Pennsylvania and grew the business to become one of the most successful distributors of pesticides, fungicides and insecticides in the region.

During this time Doc worked closely with the research faculty and college leadership at Cornell’s Experiment Station in Geneva, NY in the development of new varieties of apples and cherries and new approaches to improve fruit production. In 2014 he was recognized for his many contributions to agriculture and Cornell with the Outstanding Alumni Award presented by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Association.

Doc was always deeply involved in the Sodus and Wayne County communities. He was a member of the Sodus Rotary Club for over 60 years…a past president and a Paul Harris Fellow. He served on the Sodus Planning board and the Wayne County Economic Development board until reaching the age of 87, at which time he said, with a twinkle in his eye, “It’s time to give the younger folks a chance”.

Flying was a passion for Doc. He was a member of the Williamson Flying Club for 60 years and served as its treasurer for more than 30. He found great joy at 3,500 feet in his Cessna 182.

Doc and Celey joined the Sodus United Third Methodist Church when they moved to Sodus, and Doc remained active at the church over the years

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at 11a.m., Saturday, November 11, at the Sodus United Third Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Doc Malchoff to “Cornell University” (in support of the Geneva Experiment Station) Cornell University, CALS ADD, 274 Roberts Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; the “Sodus United Third Methodist Church”, 56 West Main St., Sodus, NY 14551; or the “Rotary Foundation – End Polio Now”, Sodus Rotary, P.O. Box 225, Sodus, NY 14551. Arrangements: Norton Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed online at www.hsnorton.com