Richard H. Combs, 71, passed away on Friday, March 22, 2019, at his home in Tallahassee after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Kathy Combs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rick was born April 9, 1947, in Sidney, Neb., to Myrle and Elaine Hoffman. At the age of seven his mother remarried a widower, Major John Combs of the US Air Force. Rick and the family of eight moved approximately every two years. He loved to spend summers at his father\u2019s family farm. He graduated from McLean High School in Virginia in 1965. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rick entered the University of Florida,\nbecoming a lifelong GATOR, and graduated in 1969 with a degree in political\nscience (or General Bull as he described it). He then entered the United States\nArmy Infantry and served in Vietnam as an Infantry Platoon Leader. After\nleaving the army, Rick attended the University of Florida\u2019s law school on the\nG. I. Bill. While in law school, he interned in the 4th Judicial Circuit State\nAttorney\u2019s office. There, he found a career that became his passion as a\nprosecutor for the State of Florida. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating, Rick moved to the Orlando 9th\nJudicial Circuit office where he worked from 1972 to 1982. While working there\nhe met and instantly fell in love with Kathy Taylor of Perry, Fla. Until the\nday he passed, he felt totally blessed to have Kathy in his life. They were\nmarried in January 1977 and were blessed with a daughter, Shelly, in September\n1978. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1982, Rick transferred to the 2nd Judicial\nCircuit State Attorney\u2019s office to be closer to Kathy\u2019s large family. He was\nassigned to head the branch office in Gadsden and Liberty counties where he\nfound career-long (44 years) enjoyment in working in the \u201coutlying\u201d counties.\nIn 1987, Rick and Kathy welcomed their second daughter, Amanda (Mandy). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2012, Rick was recognized for his work by\nthe FPAA with the Gene Berry Award. Rick was highly respected in the legal\nprofession by the many attorneys, judges, and other staff with whom he worked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rick enjoyed all college sports and, though he\nwas a Gator first, he supported and attended many FSU games as well as those of\nlocal teams. He loved playing golf after work in Quincy, and also loved\nsoftball, basketball, and fishing. He spent many years coaching youth sports,\nespecially girls fast-pitch softball, in which he found great joy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a lifelong servant, Rick was active in the\ncommunity and his church, Saint Paul\u2019s UMC. He taught Sunday School and loved\nhis class, New Horizons. He felt blessed to serve on many church missions\nteams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He served in Kiwanis Club of Quincy where he\nwas past-president and a major fundraiser for their various charitable\npursuits. Most recently he served in Northside Kiwanis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rick is survived by his wife of 42 years,\nKathy, his two daughters Shelly Roberts (David) of Atlanta and Mandy Combs of\nTallahassee, and his deeply loved grandchildren Christian, Jack, Adriana and\nLydia, his stepmother Carol Hoffman of Denver, Colo., and special sister-in-law\nSherry Harvey of Dekle Beach, Fla. He is also survived by sisters Deana Goff of\nClearwater, Laura Schiavon of Eustis, and Sally Combs, Susan Jones (Randy) and\nbrother Tom Combs (Therese), all of Tallahassee, and many nephews and nieces\nand in-laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n