TOLEDO, Ohio — In dance halls and event spaces across northwest Ohio, it didn’t take much to start a party when Duane Malinowski walked in: an accordion, familiar tune and, before long, a dance floor full of people moving together.
Malinowski — known throughout the region as the “Polka King” — died Monday at 65 after a short battle with kidney cancer. But for those who knew him, his legacy stretches far beyond the music he played.
“He kept the crowd going. He was funny. He would tell jokes. He was just a good guy,” said Bob Earl Jr., a childhood friend and fellow musician…