Kay McComb

Kay McComb passed away at the home of his granddaughter in Bremerton, Washington, on June 28, 2023. He was born November 25, 1932, in Grand Junction, Iowa, to Andy and Mae (Winchell) McComb. He was the fifth of eight children. He remembered taking his bath as a kid in a washtub on the kitchen floor. After graduating from high school he joined the Navy, just like all his brothers. While stationed in Seattle, Washington, he met Violet Stritmatter and they were married. He spent time in New Mexico and was finally stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii. He assisted in transporting nuclear warheads from the weapons depot to ships in the harbor. After being discharged from the Navy he and Violet moved back to Seattle to raise their family. He started work at Boeing where he worked on the Minuteman Missile program, the Lunar Rover and the Hydrofoil program, to name a few. Violet and Kay were divorced in 1979. 

He met Jean Reinertsen and they shared many happy years together, boating and watching after their young grandchildren. He retired from Boeing after 30+ years. After Jean passed away in 1990, he moved back to the family home in Grand Junction. 

He met Emy Lou North and they were married in 1996, making their home at the farm in Vail, Iowa. They spent time between Iowa and Florida, where Kay loved to saltwater fish. In Vail you could find Emy and Kay canning pickles and sitting outside their home watching the wild turkeys cross their farm. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to anybody that needed it.

He was preceded in death by Emy Lou, who passed away in 2022. He was also preceded in death by his parents, his sister Doris Stewart, his brothers Francis, Daryl, Gail, Andy, and Richard. He is survived by his sister, Marion Hocke of Jefferson, Iowa. He is also survived by his four children, his three stepchildren and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. His Celebration of Life was held at the farm in Vail and his ashes will be interred at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington, at a future date. He will be missed by many.