Apr 16, 2023 8 min read

George Malanosky was a high-energy, motivated and popular high school basketball official.

Through the 2017-2018 season, most coaches, players and athletic directors were happy to see Malanosky show up at their school to work a varsity game.

A few months after that season ended, Malanosky – while on vacation in Disney World in Orlando – suffered a debilitating stroke.

His wife, Angela, had just flown home, a day before Malanosky and his sons, Max and Chase, were to fly home.

After talking to Angela, who advised her husband to have the boys take him to the hospital – fearing he had suffered a stroke – Malanosky listened. The boys got dad to the hospital and then flew home.

“George didn’t sound right, he was laughing and making jokes of everything,” Angela explained. “It was obnoxious and it wasn’t George. I knew something was wrong.”

Angela Malanosky is certified occupational therapy assistant.

Reality hit George Malanosky, a Fredericktown resident, hard.

“Here we are supposed to be coming home and I’m in the hospital,” he said. “I don’t know what was going on with me internally. I thought I sounded normal.

“Angie said I was slurring bad and I knew my right side felt heavy. My first worry was my boys. We were supposed to leave to come home. How was I going to take care of them. I was there by myself. I wondered if I’d ever see anybody I loved again.”

Once Malanosky came to grips with it all, his fight back began. It wasn’t easy to accept.

“I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring or if there would be one,” he said. “I wouldn’t go to sleep because I was terrified to go to sleep. I wasn’t sure I would see another sunrise. It was rough. If it wasn’t for the nurse on duty that night. . . she got me through it. We said a prayer.”

Angela and George’s brother got to the hospital the next day. What followed were emotional days of recovery.

“The realization was that this was going to be my life,” George Malanosky said. “It was a smack in the face. You realize, you’re not any different than anybody else. I was overwhelmed and comforted Angela and my brother were with me.”

Battling back

When you use a wheelchair, it makes it tough to golf, dance or officiate a basketball game – his three recreational loves.

He had the support of his true loves – Angela, his dance partner, and his boys. Life was different.

“There was still too much to still see,” Malanosky said. “I decided to fight and get better.

“I used to be able to watch myself and learn positions and look and mechanics, in dancing, golfing and officiating. I couldn’t do it then.

“It comes down to what you have in you. Do you want to get back to before. I had great family support. One of the biggest things was my mom (Margaret). I couldn’t have her bury another child. His older sister, had passed. I also knew the boys (now both in college) knew that I wanted to be around, that I wanted to see and to be there for them if they had a question or needed something.”

Full circle

Malanosky, a Beth-Center graduate, was a noted basketball official in Washington and Greene counties and respected throughout the WPIAL.

One of the best and accurate compliments from a high school basketball parent and former football coach was the following:

“You might not like all of his calls, but with George you know he will have control of the game.”

Malanosky battled and made it back, officiating high school games again the last few years.

He climbed all the way to the top when he was assigned to a WPIAL championship game – the Class A girls final between Union and Aquinas Academy, last month at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.

“It was absolutely stunning and a shock when he suffered the stroke,” said Sam Puglisi, assignor of officials for the Washington Chapter. “George was in pretty good shape when he had the stroke.

“We supported what he intended to do in his comeback. He always indicated in our discussions that he wanted back on the court. When he felt it was time, he started out on the lower levels, middle school games and such. It was always up to him and how he felt. The more confident he got, the more he wanted to work. He, and we, took it one step at a time.”

Malanosky, 56, was seen regularly on the courts again in the 2021-22 season and took an even bigger step in 2022-23.

“One big intangible for George was the level of confidence,” Puglisi added. “He’s not a stranger to coaches or players. Plus, George has great communication and people skills with his partners, coaches, players and fans.

Players communicate with him well. There’s an it factor in everything, including officiating, and George had it and has not lost it.”

Emotional return

When Dave Jaap found out he was paired with Caryn McCleary and Malanosky on the WPIAL final, he said it gave him an unbelievable feeling.

“I was just elated (George) was getting a championship game and with Caryn and I,” Jaap said. “Officiating brought us together years ago and we are all friends. We had much joy and emotion when we all learned about it and then talked about it.”

“My first thought when he had the stroke was let’s make sure he is going to get better. After we talked and he told me the prognosis, we talked about his rehab and him eventually wanting to come back. He wanted that. I felt his initial comeback was huge. I had a sense he was going to do it. You understand, though, a stroke can have a severe prognosis.

“George is even-keeled,” he continued. “People respect him. You know you will get a fair game. If he must take care of business, he will. But he has a great demeanor.”

McCleary said Malanosky mentored her in officiating and they also became friends.

“It was so joyous working a championship game with him and Dave,” she added. “When we got to the game and had our pregame meeting, there was a lot of hugging and smiling and tears. It was moving.”

Jaap said Malanosky’s will and deep love of his family were a powerful motivation.

“The first time I saw him after the stroke, it was months afterward,” Jaap explained. “He still had a little hitch in his walk and he was limping and he would slur some words. George looked me straight in the eye and said: ‘We’re going to work on it.’

“He did so tirelessly. His comeback culminated with the championship game. That Wednesday morning, we never talked about the teams we were going to officiate. Typically, when you receive that assignment, you go over their records and stats and such. We never talk about any of that. We all were just super excited. It was emotional. He thanked me.

“When we reached the locker room and we were all together, George said ‘I love you buddy and thanked me again.’ “It was absolutely surreal. We had a blast and good game.”

Jaap has worked several championship games through his outstanding career.

“This one was the best because of crew, and the moment and what represented,” he said. “It was most memorable because George had triumphantly returned. It was just incredible to be part of it. He is a special guy.”

“If George had not come back, and I did not think he would at first,” said Puglisi, “it would have been a real loss. Obviously, we were all concerned about him, his recovery and his family.

“We are so proud of him. The best way to explain his comeback is he worked hard, he is diligent about honing his skills and his desire to be successful. We try to open a lot of doors for our officials through camps, meetings and so on. George always walks through those doors.

Malanosky looks forward to next season.

“I’m still a little disbelief about all of this,” he said. “I’m ready for next year. I can’t wait for December 2023. God willing, I’ll be ready and able to run. Angie was huge in bringing me back. She’s a taskmaster ad wouldn’t let me slack.”

Puglisi is amazed at it all.

“I am so proud when anyone of them reach the level of a WPIAL championship game. For George to have done it after having a health scare is even more special,” he said.

Perhaps Malanosky’s friend and fellow official Stacy Skerbetz said it best in a note he sent to Malanosky upon finding out his pal received a championship assignment.

“You’re back,” he wrote.

Indeed, he is.