The former owner of an iconic Rochester area donut shop has died. Bob Malley and his family were the founders of Donuts Delite on Culver Road.
Malley died Sunday at the age of 86.
Donuts Delite opened in 1958 and the Malley family ran the business until 2005.
The Malley family traces their baking heritage in the Rochester area to the 1860s, when Bob Malley’s great-grandfather, Sam Durnherr baked soda crackers that were shipped via the Erie Canal around the world.
Bob’s father, Jim Malley started working for Whele Baking Co. in 1928. In 1933, Whele Baking was sold to Hathaway Bakeries of Boston.
Jim stayed on with Hathaway, but in 1958 he resigned from that company and opened Donuts Delite at the corner of Empire and Culver.
His son, Bob Malley, left his job as a teacher to help with the family business, and over the years, all the Malley children were part of Donuts Delite from 1958 to 2005.
In 2010, the shop was reopened after Salvatore Fantauzzo (“Soccer Sam”) who is the founder of Salvatore’s Pizza, purchased the then-closed landmark and negotiated with Malley to allow them to carry the original recipe donuts at the Salvatore’s location.
Nick Semeraro then became the owner/operator of the shop.
This shop sells both Salvatore’s menu, and Donuts Delite donuts.
Bob Malley also had owned Highland Park Diner on South Clinton Avenue in Rochester from 1986 to 2003.
Calling hours for Bob Malley will be held Thursday from 4-8pm at the Dreier-Giltner Funeral Home, 1717 Portland Avenue in Rochester.
A funeral Mass will be held Friday at Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road.
