HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The death of Richmond financial adviser John Maloney has been ruled accidental, according to Henrico Police spokesman Lt. Chris Eley. Maloney’s body was found in his western Henrico home over the weekend. Neighbors reported seeing more than a dozen police cars around the Santa Rosa Road home. Circumstances surrounding his death have not yet been released.
Maloney most recently worked at Wells Fargo in Richmond, but was once a reporter for both the Richmond Times Dispatch and Style Weekly. Away from the office, he was an autism activist who worked with state lawmakers to attempt to change the way schools and insurance companies worked with children with autism.
“All of us in the Autism community in Virginia and at Virginia Autism Project (VAP) are devastated to learn that John Maloney, an autism warrior dad, died suddenly,” Virginia Autism Project President Teresa Champion said. “John was a tour de force for autism families. So many of us moved in and out of each other’s lives over the years and he was always present and always engaged. Under his and other’s leadership, VAP and Autism Speaks ensured the autism insurance law passed. Then when it came time to expand the age cap, he was engaged for that process also which just passed this last legislative session.”
Maloney, a Collegiate School graduate, helped start Open Gym at his former school.
“[Open Gym is a] Sunday afternoon activity where our students are buddies with kids with autism and they do various sports activities,” Collegiate School spokeswoman Elizabeth Cogar wrote. “As a parent of an autistic child, John recognized the need for more physical activity and that’s what gave him this idea.”
John Maloney (white shirt) with the Open Gym crew (PHOTO: Collegiate School)
“John was the heart and soul of the program, working with our students to help them understand autism better and encouraging the families they worked with. He will be missed greatly,” Cogar added.
Anyone who would like to submit their remembrances of John Maloney can do so here.
