Joel James Malchow, 48, passed away peacefully Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, at St Joseph Regional Medical Center, because of complications of myotonic muscular dystrophy. He was born to Robert and Esther (Lindquist) Mapes on Oct. 11, 1974, in Lewiston.

He attended McGhee Elementary School, and upon learning to read and write, he began to write his own stories, with illustrations. He loved to read and play Nintendo games. He also loved to go camping, but not for hunting and fishing. He loved to go hiking and pick wild flowers. He would sit around the campfire and write stories or poems, sometimes on a brown paper sack, if that is all he could find to write on. He attended Jenifer Junior High, and then on to Lewiston High School. While at LHS, he started in drama in his sophomore year and became a member of Troupe No. 76 of The International Thespian Society. He also loved his journalism class and worked on the Bengal’s Purr newspaper. Many times, he wrote the comic strip. He graduated from LHS in 1993. In 1995, he moved to Moses Lake, Wash., to attend the Columbia Basin Job Corps. He graduated from there in 1997, and then attended Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake for one year.

He then moved back to Lewiston and in 1999 went to work for the El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant until 2016 when he was forced to quit working due to myotonic muscular dystrophy. He never let the disease define him, he was still able to read, draw, and write poems and stories. He also loved to watch movies and knew all about them. He was an avid “Star Trek” fan.

He enjoyed lending movies to his co-workers, and he had a good friend, Jim, who also liked “Star Trek” and science fiction. He enjoyed activities with Jim and his two sons. He also loved to tell dumb jokes and could tell you a string of them. He was fiercely independent and was able to live alone until the end. He was very good at finding ways to cope with the weakness in his arms and hands, and only had to quit driving the last 18 months.

Joel is survived by his parents, Gene and Esther Malchow; younger brother, Brad Malchow, all of Lewiston; and stepbrothers Roger Trombetta (January), of Cottonwood, and Lon (Victoria) Malchow, of Arizona. He is survived by his niece Kerstin (Seth) Schmadeka and nephew Zach Trombetta, of Grangeville. He is also survived by parents Robert and Anne Mapes, and stepbrother Chris, of Port Orchard, Wash., and his stepfather David Swanson, of Clarkston. Also surviving are his Aunt Barbara Malchow and his cousin Christie (Jason) Zumwalt, along with his cousins Sharon Glidden and Robert (Lydia) Hamilton, all of Lewiston.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Hjalmar and Marylee Lindquist, and William “Claire” and Minnie Mapes; his good friend Jim Holman; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

The family is so grateful for the professional and loving care he received from the nurses and doctors in the ICU at St. Joe’s, not only for him but also for us.

There will be a celebration of life at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Orchards Community Church, 822 Bryden Ave., Lewiston, with a reception following. Sign the online guestbook at mtviewfuneralhome.com.