Malcolm C Knowles

Malcolm Charles Knowles of Sandwich, NH died peacefully surrounded by his family on January 31, 2024, at Concord Hospital - Laconia.

Born March 1, 1941, to Robert Knowles and Dorothy (Barney) Keller, Malcolm grew up in Laconia, attending Laconia High School (Class of 1959) and Proctor Academy. While in school, Mal played on the football team and competed as a skier. He spent his formative years working at Irwin Marine where he cultivated his love of being on the lake. Malcolm attended college at Boston University.

While living in Boston, Mal met his wife of 60 years, Judith (Cornwall) Knowles. They married in June 1963, and their journey took them from Beacon Hill to Acton, MA, and back to Laconia in 1972, where Mal took the reins of the family business, Keller’s Ice-Cream, from his stepfather, Pittman Keller. He went on to open several restaurants in the Lakes Region, including The Soda Shop, which would become a decades-long staple in downtown Laconia, and The Hathaway House, a popular restaurant that attracted celebrity clientele such as John Travolta and Lynn Redgrave. Malcolm, who was a jack-of-all-trades, would later work in real estate before returning to the food industry, where he worked for a food distributor serving many area restaurants.

Malcolm was a proud “local” and loved his close knit group of friends and the community he grew up in. During terms as President for both the Lion’s Club of Laconia and later Kiwanis of Meredith, he spent many hours fundraising, selling motorcycle raffle tickets, and playing Santa to help various community groups and children in need. With a twinkle in his eye, Mal shared spirited stories of his teenage years in Laconia and adventures with friends in the city. Mal relished spending time with new and old friends, especially gathering with Laconia High School classmates every month for their “reunion” luncheons.

Mal and Judi lived a life full of love and laughter. They treasured time camping, canoeing, rafting, and traveling. Mal’s favorite treks were drives to the Maine coast to enjoy a lunch of oysters and chowder, and boating on Squam Lake. Many happy days were spent floating in Rattlesnake Cove, fishing, and spotting eagles and loons. He was an accomplished chef who found great pleasure cooking gourmet dinners for family and friends. He prided himself as being the official camp chef for the “B” team on their yearly hunting trips to Pittsburg. For the past 20 years, Malcolm and Judi have loved living in the village of Sandwich, and Mal cherished time with the "corner crew." In his words, they had "the best neighbors anyone could ever ask for."

Malcolm was devoted to his family, and shared his many passions and talents with his children and grandchildren. He taught his kids to ski and how to cook. He built tree houses and Pinewood Derby cars with his grandkids, and rose before the sun each year to get the prime family spot for the Sandwich Fair parade. He spent many happy vacations with his family including yearly camping trips to Camp Seguin, heading out Magalloway Road to Camp 5 in Pittsburgh, NH where they would scout for moose, take canoe trips and fish. He also loved the annual week in Ocean Park, Maine, where they enjoyed preparing lobster feasts, watching fireworks, and hunting for elusive blue sea glass on the beach.

Malcolm is predeceased by his sister, Nancy Knowles, and his son, M. Scott Knowles. He is survived by his wife Judi, his daughter Stephanie Finnegan and her husband Mark of Moultonborough, NH, and his daughter Jo Knowles and her husband Peter Carini of Hartland Vermont. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Hannah Finnegan Vicente and her husband Kier, Eli Carini, Patrick Finnegan, and Ryan Finnegan and his brother Joseph Keller of Moultonborough, NH.

A celebration of Malcolm’s life is planned for Saturday, March 30, 2024, at The Benz Center in Sandwich, NH from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lakes Region Visiting Nurse Association (LVRNA.org).