Brenda Malinowski Obituary

Brenda Annette Dean was the third of four children born to Frank Reuben Dean, Jr. and Lillian Jean Dean (née Damuth) of Magnolia. She is survived by her youngest brother, Henry Arnold Dean and wife Nina Jean Dean (née Wax), daughter Sandra Dee Taylor (née Smith), grandsons Preston Ross Taylor, and Rhett Jackson Taylor and wife Sydney Daniella (née Sharp), and numerous Malinowski and other relatives. She is preceded in death by her parents, brother Frank Reuben Dean III, sister Beverly "Sister" Ann Robison (née Dean), son-in-laws Lawrence Elwood Taylor and David Gibson Allen, daughters Cindy Smith and Brigitte Smith,, and husband Eugene "Gene" Billie Malinowski.
Brenda graduated from Magnolia High School where she was a basketball star playing forward, earning many small 14Kt gold basketballs and brass trophy cups. Some of her favorite high school memories were being in a halftime parade her freshman year as the varsity football sweetheart, all the fun and laughter at pep rallies and games as head cheerleader, playing drums in the band, being crowned homecoming queen, scoring 50 points one night in a basketball game, including a shot made from mid-court at the halftime buzzer, and playing basketball and cheerleading with "Sister" (older sister Beverly).
Upon graduation, she married LaVerne "Toby" Smith and had three daughters, Sandra Dee, Cindy, and Brigitte. Brenda was a caregiver in their home in Tomball to grandmother Elizabeth "Lizzy" Dean, mother-in-law Mae Alma "Macy" Smith, and years later to mother Lillian Jean Dean. She had many fond memories of playing 42 (dominoes) in Magnolia at Macy's house, playing 42 with her mother, along with other friends and relatives, at Beverly's house, and of the good times she and her mother had going fishing in Hallettsville.
Brenda worked as the bookkeeper for Toby Smith Lumber Co. in Tomball and they eventually closed that business. She also worked as the bookkeeper for their water co. in Magnolia, working out of an attached garage converted to a home office. After operating 30 years, the Toby Smith Water Co. was sold to the City of Magnolia and they retired. Remarkably, Brenda never made a mistake on a customer's water bill. When her aunt Mary and uncle John Damuth moved to Austin, she bought their house in Onalaska and lived there until Brigitte graduated from Sam Houston State University. Brenda took college courses while living there and made all A's. She also volunteered at a nursing home in the Huntsville area and was on the cover of two local magazines with write-ups for her work there with elderly female residents.
After Brigitte graduated, Brenda moved to a residence just outside of Tomball. Following the end of her marriage, she was set up on a blind date by Brigitte and Scott Malinowski with Scott's dad, Gene Malinowski, and it was a match. Gene, a widower, had three sons: Darrell Wayne and wife Lisa, and their children Emilee (and husband Cooper Morey), Evan (and wife Amber), and Ethan; Brian Keith and wife Kelly, and their children Lauren (and husband Alan Birdsong) and Meghan; and Scott. Gene and Brenda were married in August 1997 at St. Anne's Catholic church in Tomball. Brenda was welcomed into the Malinowski family and grew close to Gene's sons and their families as well as to other Malinowski relations.
Gene and Brenda lived a happy and simple life together for almost 25 years. Gene always had a big garden and Brenda would often pick fresh vegetables out of his garden to cook with dinner. They enjoyed taking walks to the Brazos river with their dog, Lilly, picking dewberries and figs, and gathering pecans. She routinely baked dewberry and pecan pies for Gene and her grandsons. When Preston and Rhett came to visit, she liked to play board games and dominoes with them, take them to Blue Bell Water Park or to the skateboard park in Brenham, take them to church, and take them to the river fishing or to play in the treehouse Gene built for all the children.
Gene and Brenda were devoted fans of the Texans and Astros and watched all of their televised games. They also watched Wheel of Fortune and Fox News on a daily basis. In 2016, both emerged as Trump supporters and painted one side of their barn with giant letters TRUMP that could be seen for miles.
Every year, she and Gene hosted a Halloween Party and a Christmas Eve party for their extended families. All of the children posed for a group photo every Halloween in their costumes before going out trick or treating as well as for a group photo every Christmas Eve before opening gifts. Brenda liked planning games and random drawings with cash prizes for the Christmas Eve party. Every Christmas Eve, she would take Preston and Rhett, along with other family, to the annual Candlelight Service at the First Baptist Church in Chappell Hill just prior to starting their own party. She was a faithful member of that church and loved attending their women's Sunday School class. She was always a Baptist and was baptized in her late teens at the First Baptist Church in Magnolia. She loved watching Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, and David Jeremiah on television, and gave faithfully to all three ministries. She read from David Jeremiah's study Bible for hours every day. She frequently ordered religious books and devotionals from various ministries to give away to friends and relatives, and she always gave money to panhandlers while stopped in traffic.
Brenda collected mostly ceramic chickens and roosters. Friends and relatives also gave them to her as gifts, causing her collection to eventually take over the kitchen and dining room. Her brother Henry has had an antique shop in Magnolia since high school and he inspired her passion for antiques, once even taking her on a buying trip along the East coast back in the 70's. Her best-loved memories were the times she and Henry would go on local buying trips for his antique shop, especially, when their mother Lillian and their sister Beverly went with them.
Brenda loved playing Bingo every chance she could, mostly playing at the Catholic Church or at the Knights of Columbus in Chappell Hill, often with sister-in-law Elizabeth. In recent years, she played Bingo on Thursday nights with daughter Sandra at the Sons of Hermann Lodge in Brenham. She also had fun playing games on the TX Lottery scratch tickets whenever she received "scratch-offs" as gifts.
Sadly, Gene and Brigitte were diagnosed with different cancers in early 2022 and both passed away soon afterwards in March 2022, within 5 days of each other. Brenda was able to continue living in her home in Chappell Hill with the help and wonderful assistance she received from workers at Traditions Home Health out of College Station.
On July 8, 2025, she was transported from her home to the Hospital ER in Brenham due to shortness of breath. She went to Heaven a short time later at the age of 84, just shy of her 85th birthday. Brenda was a fun-loving generous person with a sweet spirit and beautiful heart. She showed love to everybody and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Memorial services will be held at Klein Funeral Home in Magnolia on Wed., July 16, 2025. All are welcome: viewing 1PM (open casket), funeral service 2PM, burial 3:30PM Moyston-Damuth Cemetery on FM149 Spur.
Klein Funeral Home - Magnolia-The Woodlands