Page 2 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 6, 2026 EDITORIAL: Who’s better than you, Bobby Knox? In Malden, the answer will always be: No one! Congratulations, Everett, you’re getting a real one T rue story. One Thanksgiving recently, Bobby Knox was sitting down to a festive, well-stocked holiday feast at his brother’s house when, inevitably, his well-worn cellphone vibrated in his pocket. Seeing as how he had — literally — not turned his phone off in 20 years, since his honeymoon, no less, he looked at it and stepped out of the dining room to briefly converse with the caller. When he returned, everyone in the room knew what was coming next: a sheepish grin, perhaps a little wave, the de facto “Gotta go!” Off he went to take care of anothGerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 er task that needed attention. This one? A deceased raccoon that had given up the ghost in front of an elderly Malden resident’s abode. She just could not enjoy her own Turkey Day feast unless it was gone. She called someone, who in turn called Mr. Knox, who did one of thousands of personal “Clark Kents” and arrived to save the day. “I got rid of it, took it to the City Yards and went back to brother’s house, and they warmed up a plate for me,” he recalled with a chuckle. That’s Bobby Knox. All day, all night, every day — “24/7, 365.” Holidays exist for many, but not for all. Count Knox in the “all” category here. “I have worked every Fourth of July going back to the 1990s, cleaning up and supervising in all the parks during and after the celebrations,” he said. “Veterans Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, you name it, we are out there helping out in some capacity, with flags, setting out barrels, picking them up; it never really stops,” Knox said. What is indeed stopping is Bobby Knox’s 32-plus years of service to the City of Malden. Last Friday was his last day in Malden as DPW Director and this week was his first five days on the job as the city of Everett’s Executive Director of City Services. The leaders of the City of Everett are thrilled with the turn of events. “Robert Knox will bring proven leadership, deep professional expertise, and a shared dedication to public service,” first-term Everett Mayor Robert Van Campen said in an online report. “Strong infrastructure is the foundation of a thriving city. [His] leadership and technical expertise will help ensure our streets, utilities, and public facilities meet the needs of today while preparing for the future.” This guy has gone “the extra mile” more times than the most accomplished marathoner in recorded history. How many text messages or “live” phone calls did he customarily handle that were work-related in Malden? Well, he had 3,300 phone contacts on his cellphone. “I have had the number one amount of text messages and phone numbers of any city phone in Malden on a yearly basis for the past 20 years,” Knox attested, “No one else in the city was even close.” Texts and phone calls per day? “A couple of hundred, easy. Weekends, too,” he said. In 2014, Malden adopted the dial 311 “See, Click, Fix” system. Under Knox’s leadership, the city just went over 110,000 issues all-time since 2014, received, addressed and handled, among the top three of over 150 communities in Massachusetts. “We’re very proud of that,” Knox said. City of Malden leaders, such as 14-year Mayor Gary Christenson, are effusive in their praise and gratitude for Bobby Knox and the job he has done for the City of Malden. “I’m happy for Bobby because I know with new challenges comes growth, excitement, learning, and a renewed sense of energy. That said, Bobby has truly been an irreplaceable part of my team over the past 14 years. He has truly put Malden first, in a way that I’m sure his wife will tell you hasn’t always been her Longtime Malden DPW Director Bobby Knox is the new Everett Executive Director of City Services. (Courtesy Photo) favorite thing. I truly can’t be more grateful for what he’s given to this City, working 24/7 to make it a better place to live,” Mayor Christenson said. “If you see him, please congratulate him, thank him, and wish him nothing but success in his new role because he’s earned that from all of us,” Mayor Christenson, a lifelong friend and fellow Malden High Class of 1986 graduate with Knox, added. City of Malden lifers will recall the old Converse Rubber Outlet Store at the corner of Highland Avenue and Devir Street, where the Laborers Union local office now sits. Sitting right in the front from the first day the place opened in the late 1950s until it closed in the 1980s were the real Converse All-Star gameworn sneakers of the late NBA Hall of Famer Bob Lanier of Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks lore. It was a size 22, which, to this day, is the biggest size sneaker ever worn by an NBAer, matched later by the great Shaquille O’Neal and then former Boston Celtics fan favorite Tacko Fall. That’s about the “size” of it with Bobby Knox as he departs his Malden DPW job for his new post in Everett. Big shoes to fill? No. Not even close. Too big. No one can fill his shoes. Quite frankly there are not many who would want to! He was that good and that important to the City of Malden and his residents. A favorite phrase of some longtime Malden residents when expressing admiration for a friend is to ask, “Who’s better than you?” Put Bobby Knox’s name in there, and the answer is easy, “No one.” Thank you, Bobby, for all you have done through so many years and in so many ways. Everett is getting a real one, that is for sure.
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