Dr. James Shine Comar, of Waynesboro, Va., passed away at age 79 on April 9 th , 2022 at 2:55 pm. He left behind a loving family and a wide circle of friends. Born March 7, 1943, in Charleston, South Carolina to Robert Brodie Comar and Virginia Shine Comar, he was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Robert Brodie Comar, Jr. Those left to cherish his memory include his high school sweetheart, and wife of 55 years, Claire O’Driscoll Comar; his daughter, Claire Marie Lockard (husband, Steve; daughters, Julia and Sarah) of Annapolis, MD and his son, Marques O’Driscoll Comar of Waynesboro, VA. James was a 1961 graduate of Bishop England High School. He went on to complete his lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. Starting out by graduating from the Citadel in 1965 with a B.S. in pre-med, he then attended the Medical University of South Carolina and graduated with an M.D. in 1969. He completed his internship at University Hospital in Augusta, GA and served three years in the U.S. Navy as a general practitioner. In 1975, Dr. Comar completed his residency at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA and went on to practice anesthesiology at Waynesboro Community Hospital and then Augusta Medical Center for 30 years combined. Dr. James Comar enjoyed a fulfilling life outside of work. He was physically active with tennis, skiing, throwing baseball with his kids, and bicycling to work as well as for recreation. He was a loving, engaging husband and father whom his family adored. He was gregarious and treasured by his friends and acquaintances. When James walked into a room, people were happy to see him and he was happy to be there. His jokes and infectious personality could make a night seem like an hour. Interacting with him was easy and enjoyable. Because of his voracious reading and traveling, he knew a lot about many topics and almost everything about world history. Often he would start conversations with bystanders that ended in friendships. To his credit, he was the first local doctor to volunteer to administer anesthesia to a child with AIDS. After retiring, James spent most of his time with his loving, strong and even more charitable wife, Claire. He volunteered to read for the blind through National Public Radio (NPR) out of Harrisonburg, VA. Later, he enjoyed driving for Transportation for the Elderly and Disabled (TED) for the city of Waynesboro. He went out of his way to cater to the individuals that he drove around town. His approachable personality and the conversation he always offered were naturally calming, accepting and always intriguing. When driving for TED, he infallibly knew where each person needed to go and when s/he needed to be there. He was an amazing, thoughtful and skilled doctor, dad and husband. His family and myriad friends will miss him for life. A Celebration of Life will be held May 13, 2022 at 11 am at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Waynesboro with Father Rollo Castillo officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Augusta Health Hospital foundation, https://www.augustahealth.com/foundation/make-a-gift/ . Condolences to the family can be made at mcdowfuneralhomeinc.com.
Posted in: pbinfo.com
Posted on: 2022-04-22
Link to original obituary: