G. Malcolm Holderness died August 13, 2021 at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center following a long illness. Malcolm is survived by Anne, his wife of forty-seven years, his step-niece and step-nephews, his cousins, and his many friends. He is also survived by Sonia Gador, Fe Gador, Gina Adams and Candice Roa who cared for him so lovingly through the illness which Malcolm endured with patience and unfailing grace. Malcolm was the son of the late George S. and Mildred Kroos Holderness.
A lifelong New Yorker, Malcolm attended New York City schools, Andover, Yale University and Harvard Law School. He served proudly as an officer in the United States Navy before entering Harvard and maintained an on-going relationship with the shipmates with whom he served. Following law school, Malcolm joined the firm of Milbank (known formerly as Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy), becoming a partner and practicing at Milbank until his retirement in 1996. Malcolm was a man of many parts – a lawyer respected by his colleagues and clients; a devotee of the arts; an enthusiastic doubles tennis player with the “tennis group,” an avid bicyclist and hiker; a train enthusiast; a world traveler; and a lover of the outdoors. He greatly enjoyed listening to classical music and attending the concerts of the New York Philharmonic; he immersed himself in the cultural riches of New York City. Among his bicycling adventures were riding regularly in the New York Five Borough events and as a teenager bicycling alone from New York City to Canada. His hundreds of hikes included the range trail in the Adirondacks, climbs in the Alps and the Dolomites, as well as a memorable trek from Katmandu to the base camp of Mount Everest.
After he retired, he volunteered as a tour guide with the Central Park Conservancy and was delighted to share his extensive knowledge of the Park with tour attendees. He traveled widely with his wife Anne, including train trips whenever possible. He carefully researched the details of every trip and planned every detail, which his wife was happy to appreciate. Malcolm was a good and gentle man who gave much to his wife, his family and his friends. He will be greatly missed, very specially by his wife Anne who will love him forever. Services were private but his wife and family ask that you remember Malcolm kindly.