Obituary of Fay Combs

Fay Everett Combs, 84, of Burdett, died peacefully on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at home surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was born in Romulus, NY on March 2, 1933, the son of Ray M. and Alice Faye Everett (Stewart) Combs. Fay was the loving husband of Nancy Dean Combs, and would have happily celebrated 61 years of marriage on December 31, 2017. He adored Nancy, and told her he knew he would marry her the first time he met her. Fay was adored by his children, Julie Faye (James) O'Brien, Valerie Jane (Michael) Moore, and Raymond Martin (Lisa) Combs; ten grandchildren, Jessica (Gerlando) Purpura, Stephanie (Jay) Parente, Michelle (Nick) Huber, Alicia (Cole) Bubb, Krista (Eric) Brunner, Lindsy (Patrick) Hyer, Bradley (Nadia) Combs, Matthew (Brittany) Combs, Steven (Sarah) Combs, Deanne (David) Housenecht; 15 great grandchildren, Salvatore, Michael, Sofia, Luca, Mason, Morgan, Evan, Collin, Raelynn, Patrick, Valor, Clive, Timothy, Giovanni, and Anthony; nephews, Kevin (Cindy) Finch and Terry Call; and many other nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his youngest son, James Dean Combs on September 12, 2017. He was also predeceased by his sisters and brothers –in- law, Elsie and William Finch, Betty and Cedric Call, and nephew, Donald C. Call, maternal grandparents, Jesse and Jenny (Everett) Stewart, paternal grandparents, Warren and Emma (La Boyteaux) Combs, and Levi and Vera Skinner, and in-laws, Paul and Reva Dean. Fay was an orphan from the age of 6, and was raised by his grandparents, Jesse and Jenny Stewart to the age of 16. After the passing of his grandmother, he was fortunate to live with Levi and Vera Skinner to finish high school. He helped them with daily farm chores. They were wonderful to Fay and considered him a son since they never had children. In their elder years, Fay looked after them until their deaths. Fay graduated from Interlaken Central School and attended Alfred Ag & Tech School. He served in the US Army from 1953-1955, stationed in Vienna, Austria with the International Patrol. Fay worked construction for many years and retired from Cayuga Medical Center in 1994. He was always there to give a hand to many friends, family members and neighbors. He and his sons also did masonry work. Fay built homes for his four children, including a log home, where he cut and readied the logs, for Raymond and his family. Fay was a loving husband and father. He was a very quiet and private individual. He was always helping others, but not good at accepting help. He was a member of the Reynoldsville United Methodist Church. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Friday, December 15, 2017 from 2-5 pm at Reynoldsville United Methodist Church, 5099 Rte 227, Burdett. Funeral services will begin at 5:00 pm followed by a reception in the fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jimmy Dean Combs Scholarship Fund at Watkins Glen Central School or to the Reynoldsville United Methodist Church.