Kenneth Irving Coombs, 85, of Andover, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2014, at the Hospice House in Concord following a valiant battle with cancer. He was born in Bath, Maine, on December 13, 1928, to Charles A. Coombs, Jr., and Mildred Coombs Drury.

He reported for US Air Force basic training in August of 1947, following graduation from Morse High School in Bath. After training in control tower operations and air traffic control at Scott Field in Illinois, he was assigned to Borinquen Field (renamed Ramey Air Force Base), Puerto Rico, in January 1948, where he operated the control tower until February 1951, when he was re-assigned as an Air Traffic NCOIC at Dow AFB in Bangor Maine. He was discharged that August, and enrolled at the University of Maine at Farmington, where he earned a Bachelor of Science and Masters degrees in Education.

For the next 10 years, Coombs taught and coached championship basketball teams at the secondary level. His next 25 years in education were in various administrative positions at the post-secondary level in both Maine and New Hampshire.

He retired from the academic world in 1989 and for the next seven years, with his wife of 29 years, Bonnie, owned and operated several small businesses including a campground, a newspaper, and a printing business.

In addition to entrepreneurial activities, Coombs founded several non-profit organizations over the years, including Disabled Outdoor Experiences (DOE) in Maine, and the Bedford New Hampshire chapter of the Kiwanis Club. He was the District Commissioner of the Daniel Webster Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Commander of the American Legion Post in Berlin, New Hampshire. In 1998, Coombs founded the Ramey Air Force Base Historical Association and served for many years as its President. He was an active rail fan and a lifelong Red Sox fan.

Ken and his devoted wife, Bonnie (Dufour) Coombs, were married in 1985 and have enjoyed their blended family, which includes Ken’s four daughters (from his previous marriage to Susan McLafferty) Karalee Ivy Kane of Dover; Kathryn Iris Furbush of Farmington; Karla Irene Coombs of Somersworth; and Kimberly Ingrid Rex of Barrington; and their children Nicholas Kane, Kaitlyn Kane, Maxwell Furbush, Mason Furbush, Dylan Coombs-Pierce, Samantha Coombs-Pierce, Logan Eldridge, Brittani Rex, and Jacob Rex.

He was especially proud of his first great grandchild, Samantha’s little Bradley Griffin, born just 30 days before his death. “Papa’s other kids” include James B. Waterman IV, Karen Lynn Niemyer, Andrea Beth Leary, and their children Jesse Scott Niemyer, Garrett James Niemyer, Joshua John Leary, and Joseph Anthony Leary.

Ken’s family also includes two brothers, Ronald Charles Coombs of Bath, Maine, Walter Edward Coombs of Brunswick, Maine; and one sister, Carole Ann (Coombs) Harrison of Bangor, Maine. He was pre-deceased by his brother Robert Loring Coombs.and leaves several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held at the Cremation Society of New Hampshire in Boscawen on January 15. A military interment will be held in the spring at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your local chapter of the American Cancer Society.