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Jean A. Malchman, 84
Business woman owned downtown landmark
Jean A. Malchman, 84, died peacefully in her sleep March 17 after a long illness.
Ms. Malchman was born in Oshkosh, Wis., in 1923, the third of six children. Her parents were vaudevillians Lloyd and Bessie Wasser. A tomboy at heart, Jean spent countless hours playing baseball, climbing trees and ice skating.
Growing up in the Great Depression was a hard struggle for the family. She never forgot where she came from and those memories became the basis for her lifelong generosity and compassion.
After graduating from business college, Jean moved to New York City, where she worked for Paramount Pictures and Radio City Music Hall, among others. When WW II ended, Jean was part of the spontaneous celebration in the heart of the city.
It was also in New York that she met her husband, Nathan. In 1951, they came to Provincetown to help run Malchman's, the clothing store whose origin could then be traced back to the turn of the century. Provincetown would be home for the next 41 years. Jean initially worked in the store and also waitressed at several restaurants. In 1963, the business expanded and the Shoe Port opened in the Porthole Building where Galadriel's is today. Jean ran the enterprise there for several years. In 1967, the Shoe Port moved into the clothing store and the clothing business was moved a few doors west to what was then the Advocate Building. Additionally, Jean and her husband opened another shoe store in West Yarmouth and embarked upon a mail order business as well. The Yarmouth business closed two years later, and Jean continued at the helm of the Shoe Port. Despite juggling these business demands, Jean continued to run her household and helped with raising her son. In 1976, Malchman's went out of business and for another eight years the business of selling shoes continued. In 1984, the long retail history of the Malchman family came to an end as the final store was closed.
Jean witnessed the transformation of the town from a sleepy fishing village to a cosmopolitan vacation destination. Beatniks, hippies, gays, straights, and all manner of humanity passed outside the store windows and through the portal of the shop.
She was known and respected in Provincetown as a business woman and employer. Jean also was known in her social circle as a fun-loving person who enjoyed entertaining and traveling. And she was active in the town's bowling league. She and Nathan toured in Europe several times, and visited the Middle East and Asia as well. After retiring, she pursued the art of cooking and worked summers for the Chamber of Commerce and Shell Design next door.
In 1990, Jean and Nathan retired in Pinellas, Fla. There they traveled and socialized with other Provincetown friends and relatives. She continued to be an avid bowler and managed on several occasions to score over 200 points. By then she had accumulated so many bowling trophies she ran out of space.
In 2005, she returned north to be closer to her family in Connecticut. Jean will be remembered as a dedicated wife and mother and for her infectious laugh and independent spirit.
She is survived by her son, David; her brother, Richard Wasser; and her sisters, Donna Barkman and Shirley Doman, as well as many nieces and nephews.
A private memorial service will be held this spring, and Jean would request that any donations in her memory be sent to Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd, Branford, CT 06402
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Arturo Vivante, 84
Pearl H. Baker, 94
Annette Savage, 94
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Apr 10th, 2008