Donald Leroy Combs

Donald Leroy Combs a resident of Santa Barbara for sixty two years, passed away on April 23rd. 2009 from congestive heart failure and dementia with Lewy Body disease.

Don was born on May 12th, 1936 in Jamestown, North Dakota to Florence E. and Edward L. Combs.

In 1946 he and his family moved to Santa Barbara. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School where he received a football scholarship, but because of an ankle injury was unable to attend college. He then did a stint in the Army, was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany as a tank radio operator, traveled around Europe with childhood friend and Santa Barbara native Earl Jensen.

Don attended and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in law and society from UCSB where he met and married Kathleen Magee of El Centro, California in 1962. Don worked various jobs and then settled into a position as Superior Court clerk for eight years. After that , he worked for the Legal Defense Center on cases involving unemployment and housing. In 1978 he joined the rent control campaign where he was a ” tenacious and passionate” fighter for renters’ rights.

Don was a very politically motivated individual as attested by his attendance and arrest at the No Nukes protest at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

He also had a sports obsession with the Lakers, Dodgers, Rams, and any other sport that was played.

Don was preceded in death by his sister Pat Blancet and brother Mickey Combs. He is survived by his children Martin Leo Combs and Kristin C. Parchim of Napa; nieces and nephews Patty Curnow Schork, Chris Curnow, Brandon Curnow, Donna Curnow, Brian and Sydney Combs ; and two special angels who cared for him.

Dad, your laugh will be missed, the questions only you can answer, our shared love of movies, your opinions, (you have a few).

Please join us for a goofy gathering of friends and family to be held at Manning Park on Saturday June 13th, 2009 at space #6 at 1:00 pm. Could you bring a snack , a drink, and a funny story?