George William Coombes Jr. died in a local hospital March 16, 2015 after a brief illness. He was born March 8, 1924 to Major George William Coombes, US Army, and Marie Bartlett Coombes at Ft. Mills, Corregidor, and the Philippine Islands, where his father was stationed.He grew up in Southern California and graduated from North Hollywood High School in 1942. After graduation and a short stint at the University of California Los Angeles, Coombes went to work at Lockheed Aircraft in the drafting/lofting department. He was fond of saying his stellar achievement at Lockheed was designing the toilet seat for the Lockheed Constellation airliner. George joined the United States Navy in 1943 as an aviation cadet. He received his Wings of Gold as a fighter pilot in August of 1944, and flew F6F Hellcats as a member of VF-15, the Navy’s highest scoring fighter squadron. He married Alice Ann Collins on March 9, 1945 and they enjoyed sixty-four years of marriage. Two children, Bill Coombes, and Ann Adair Coombes were born in 1946 and 1963 respectively.After World War ll, Coombes attended and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1951. He joined Union Oil of California as a petroleum engineer and worked for that company from 1951-1986. After working at several places in Southern California, he was transferred to Midland, Texas from Santa Paula, California in 1957 and lived in Midland until his death.George loved to travel, and with Alice, he achieved his goal of visiting every continent. He also visited every state in the United States. He enjoyed traveling with daughter Ann as she played championship golf in high school and college. He and Alice were also active members of the High Sky Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, and he and son Bill owned, flew and maintained a vintage SNJ aircraft. He was a Mason, a Quiet Birdman, former President of Ranchland Hills Country Club and a longtime member of the Board of Directors for the Permian Basin Oil Show.George was preceded in death by his parents, George William and Marie; a brother James Edward Coombes; and by his wife Alice.He is survived by his son Bill (George William Coombes III) of Midland; his daughter Ann Adair Coombes Goodman of Bryan/College Station, Texas; a grandson Will Coombes (George William Coombes IV) of Austin; a granddaughter Allyson Adair Goodman, a freshman at Texas A & M University; and, two nieces, a nephew,and a sister-in-law of California. He is also survived by his loving daughters-in-law.In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made in George’s honor to the High Sky Wing of the CAF or the Coombes Endowed History Chair at Trinity School of Midland.A 6:00 p.m. (brief) memorial service will be held Friday, April 3 at the outdoor chapel at the Commemorative Air Force followed by a “Celebration of Life”upstairs at the Commemorative Center at Midland International Air and Spaceport. Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle Welch of Midland. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com ,
