The family and friends of Dr. Kurtis Malecha, Ph.D., are deeply saddened to announce his passing on March 10, 2026. He was born on October 1, 1990 in Lonsdale, MN, to Tim and Sue Malecha. Prior to attending college, he worked at his parent's shop learning the values of hardwork and problem-solving. He obtained a Bachelor's in Chemistry from Minnesota State University, Mankato, followed by a Master's and Doctorate in Atmospheric Chemistry from University of California, Irvine. Kurtis proudly worked within multiple levels of air quality monitoring through San Diego County and the State of California for the last eight years.
Kurtis's work played directly into his belief that everyone should have access to clean air. Keys to his success were his intellect and resourcefulness. His teaching mindset allowed him to connect with people of various abilities and his desire to know led him to developing a strong independence in learning from a young age, eventually being the go-to person in his community when an answer needed to be found.
In 2020, Kurtis married his partner in life and devoted husband, Jared Ward. They were married in one of Kurtis’s favorite camping and hiking locations, the Mojave National Preserve. He was an avid lover of transportation, using trains, planes, boats and cars around the world.
While traveling was a passion, most important was earning rollercoaster credits and exploring new mountains on his skis. When home, he spent hours learning and laughing on YouTube, as well as sharing videos with those he loved. As a top 1% user of Spotify, he listened to over 50,000 minutes in 2025 with First Aid Kit, M83, Chromatics, and recently Agnes as consistent favorites.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, from 2-7 p.m. at the Malecha family residence at 220 8th Ave NW, Lonsdale, MN.
It’s not goodbye, it’s Auf Wiedersehen.