Robert J. Comley ’72 (CLAS)

Robert J. “Rob” Comley, 73, of West Brattleboro. Died at home on April 11, 2022, after a brief illness. Rob was born on Dec. 16, 1948, in Orange, N.J., the second son of James and Gertrude Comley of Essex Fells, N.J. He grew up in Essex Fells, graduated from West Essex Regional High School in 1967, and earned his B.A .in psychology at the University of Connecticut in 1972.

After a cross-country auto trip, Rob settled for a time in California, supporting himself through a number of temporary jobs including working nights for the U.S. Postal Service at the main post office in San Francisco. He later found employment driving a taxi for Yellow Cab of Burlingame, where one of his most memorable experiences was when Boston Celtics great Bill Russell jumped into the front seat with him for a run to the airport. After returning to the East, Rob went to work in the Barre, Vt., office of Champlain Valley Work and Training, an arm of the Carter administration’s CETA program that was tasked with matching workers preparing for careers with potential employers. He later joined the Vermont Department of Corrections as a probation officer in St. Johnsbury, and eventually became a casework supervisor in the Brattleboro office.

A loyal follower of the Red Sox throughout his adult life, Rob and a friend managed to score a pair of tickets to one of the most historic victories in team history, the second-to-last home game of the 1967 season, a win that help the Sox clinch the American League pennant the following day. He never lost his enthusiasm for recalling that historic game. In retirement, Rob enjoyed spending time at his waterfront cottage on beautiful Long Pond in East Lempster, N.H.

Surviving members of his family include his older brother, James H. Comley. Jr. and wife Carrie J. Comley of Waterbury Center; their daughter Sara Jacobsen of Wolcott, nephew Peter J. Comley of Seattle, Wash.; and close friend Nancy DuMont of White River Junction.