Lewis J. Malamut, of Atlantic City and Boca Raton, died on Thursday, April 2, in Boca Raton, after a brief illness. He was born in Atlantic City in 1927.

He was a graduate of Atlantic City High School, Class of 1944 and Cornell University Hotel School, Class of 1949, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity and the Octagon Theater Club.

From a prominent Atlantic City hotel family, he was a consummate host his whole life and a true gentleman. Starting work in the family hotels at an early age, he managed the Summit Springs Motel & Country Club in Poland. Maine, and the Breakers Hotel in Atlantic City before the family acquired the Shelburne Hotel in 1950. He was a manager of the Shelburne, one of the premier Boardwalk hotels in Atlantic City, until the hotel was closed at the beginning of the casino era to make way for eventual development. While at the Shelburne, he hosted numerous dignitaries, from President Lyndon Johnson to the Duke of Windsor. In addition to the Shelburne, he at one time managed a number of other hotel properties in the Atlantic City area, including the Dennis Hotel the Lombardy Motel, the Ramada Inn of Atlantic City, and the Mount Royal Motel. The family at one time also operated properties in Cherry Hill and San Francisco.

Lew was actively involved in the Atlantic City business community and served as a member of the boards of the Guardian Savings & Loan (later Cape Savings & Loan), the Atlantic City Convention Bureau, the Atlantic City Hotel/Motel Association, Associated Hotels of Atlantic City, and the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce.

Lew was also proud of his career in the Navy Reserve. Starting as an Aviation Radioman while in college before the end of World War II, he eventually retired with the rank of Captain serving in the Supply Corps. He was active in community activities, serving for 39 years, until his death, as a member of the Board of the Betty Bacharach Rehabilitation Hospital. He also served for many years on the boards of the Avoda service organization of Atlantic City and Atlantic Area Council of the Boy Scouts. He was an active member for many years of a number of organizations, including the Masons, the Naval Reserve Association, the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, the Cornell Society of Hotelmen, the Sphinx Head Honorary Society, Ye Hosts Honorary Society, Ye Olde Tymers Club of Atlantic City; Linwood Country Club, and Congregation Beth Israel.

Lew's true avocation was salt-water fishing and he told many stories of great catches and the fish that got away. In his later years, he became an aficionado of catch-and-release fishing, and he won and placed in many fishing tournaments. His boats included the Tumalam and the Honey Ethel. He had many close fishing buddies. He also enjoyed the theater, arts and travel .

In all, he was a. consummate hotelier and a kind, gentle, considerate, caring, and much loved member of the Atlantic City community.

Parents: Max Malamut, Ethel Wattenmaker MaIamut. Brother, deceased, Gary P. Malamut.

Loving husband of Barbara Mallin MaIamut and Marilyn Cohen Corbett Malamut, both of whom predeceased him.

Survivors: loving husband of Rhoda Horn Steinberg Malamut; children: Bruce Malamut of New York, N.Y.; Michael Malamut and his wife Catherine Milch Malamut and children Max and Barbara of Dedham, Mass.; John Malamut and his wife Judith Henderson Smith Malamut and their children Sonya and Evelyn of Berkeley, Calif.; and Wendy Malamut Blackwell and her daughter Marie of Santa Fe, N.M.; step-children Nancy Levine Zeltner and her husband Benjamin Zeltner, and grand-children Eric and Julia, of Linwood; and Judith Levine of Margate; sister-in-law Martha Koren Malamut Moskowitz; many loving nieces and nephews, relatives, and life-long friends.

A Memorial Service will be held on Monday April 16, at 1 p.m. at Congregation Beth Israel, 2501 Shore Road, Northfield. Contributions in Lewis MaIamut's memory can be made to the Betty Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation, 61 West Jimmie Leeds Road, Pomona, NJ 08240; and to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 216 Haddon Ave., Westmont, NJ 08108.

Arrangements are by the Roth-Goldsteins' Memorial Chapel of Atlantic City, New Jersey.