DELMAR - Philip J. Comba went home to be with his Lord on Friday, July 20, 2018 at Coastal Hospice at the Lake in Salisbury.
He was born April 29, 1925 in Brooklyn, N.Y., a son of the late Philip J. Comba, Sr. and Mabel Cooper Comba.
Phil proudly served his country in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II, including participating in the Murmansk Run. He married his sweetheart, Mary Castellanos in 1945, after returning from the war. In 1947 they moved to Delmar and loved being a part of the community. He was a long time member of Holy Redeemer Church in Delmar where he served as a Eucharistic Minister and an usher and unselfishly helped arrange many bereavement dinners for members and their families. Phil spent 35 years working as an insulator at the DuPont factory in Seaford. He also worked for many years at the Bank of Delmarva doing maintenance and later as a courier, a job he truly loved. He was a true people person and never met a stranger. He will be remembered for his infectious smile and wonderful sense of humor. He lived for baseball season and was a faithful Brooklyn Dodgers fan, an avid reader and a collector of stamps, liquor pitchers and pub jugs. He was also a fanatic fan of NCIS and Blue Bloods and loved Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. In addition to those shows, Phil kept his mind sharp by doing crossword puzzles and Jumble.
He is survived by his children, Kathy Hastings and her husband Kenneth of Laurel, Diane Petrey and her husband Len of Forest Hill, Md., Barbara Svoboda and her husband Ron of Bel Air, Md. and Philip J. Comba, Jr. and his companion, Lorraine Delisle of Dagsboro; grandchildren, Jennifer Boes (Doug), Colleen Reed (Glenn), Jason K. Hastings (Melissa), Kelly Mosher (Dean), Scott Petrey (Kelly), Chad Petrey (Tarah), Anna Saunders, and Nichole Comba; eleven great grandchildren; a brother, Robert Comba; a sister, Betty Oriol; a brother-in-law, James Castellanos; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 61 years, Mary Castellanos Comba; a brother, Garrett Comba; an infant sister, Barbara Comba; and his long-time friend, Herb Murphy.
A visitation for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Short Funeral Home in Delmar. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at 11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Church in Delmar. Following the Mass, a fellowship meal will be held at the church hall. Interment with military honors will follow at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Millsboro.
Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Holy Redeemer Church, P.O. Box 31, Delmar, DE 19940 or Coastal Hospice, P.O. Box 1733, Salisbury, MD 21802.
Arrangements are in the care of Short Funeral Home in Delmar. Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.shortfh.com