Longtime Richland pharmacy owner dies. He signed up to serve in World War II at 17
Joseph William “Bill” Malley, who enlisted in the U.S. military in World War II and later established a Tri-Cities pharmacy that still bears his name, died Feb. 19 in Richland.
He was 99.
Malley was born in Massachusetts but grew up speaking only French in Canada. The family returned to the Boston area when he was 14. His son, Brian, said he struggled in English-speaking schools. In March 1943, at 17, he convinced his parents to let him to join the Army Aviation Cadets.
He went through pilot training, B-17 gunnery school and B-29 gunnery school and worked as an interpreter and translator for Free French Aviation Cadets in Georgia.
He was discharged in March 1946, according to a Nov. 11, 2015 Veterans Day feature compiled by the Tri-City Herald.
Following his discharge, Malley headed west, using the GI Bill to attend Washington State College. He planned to study forestry, but reconsidered his job prospects. A pharmacist friend convinced him to give it a try, and he graduated in 1951 with a pharmacy degree.
Malley and wife Gladys would move around the Northwest for several years, searching for the right place to settle down. Brian Malley said he and his four siblings were all born in different towns. But by 1961, they had settled on Richland.
They bought a pharmacy that they later sold. They bought a second pharmacy which they renamed Malley’s and operated it until they sold it in 1987. Malley’s was a traditional pharmacy but with a secret weapon: It sold greeting cards, gifts and boasted the best candy lineup in town.
“All the kids in Richland knew about the candy shop,” his son said.
Malley’s remains an icon at 1906 George Washington Way after several changes in ownership is is best known for compounding special formulations on behalf of clients.
His son said Malley was a quick wit who loved hunting, fishing, traveling with friends and was a better-than-average magician. He was a past president of the Atomic Kiwanis Club, the Benton Franklin Pharmacy Association and was a card-carrying member of Knights of Columbus for more than 70 years.
Malley said his father was always grateful to have settled in Richland.
“He couldn’t have picked a better place to live,” he said.
Casper Family Dental, a Richland dental practice, pronounced Bill Malley, then 97, its favorite WWII veteran in a November 2022 post that noted few World War II veterans were still living.
In 2024, the National WW II Museum said only 66,000 of the 16.4 million Americans who served were still alive, citing Department of Veterans Affairs statistics.
Kashann Casper remembered the visit where Malley posed for the picture with his hygienist, Jani.
“He stood up straight and tall,” she recalled.
Einan’s at Sunset is in charge of arrangements. Services will be held in March.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 11:46 AM.