Donald L. Comstock, 88, died on September 25, 2023 at St. Joseph’s Hospital with his children by his side. Donald was born November 1, 1934 in Crescent City to Albert “Don” Comstock and Mary Lou (Gunst) Comstock and was the oldest of three children.

Donald was raised in Greenville, Calif. and spent summers at his grandparents’ ranch in Orick. After graduating from Greenville High School in 1952, he went on to earn a degree in Civil Engineering from Santa Clara University. He attended SCU on a football scholarship and belonged to ROTC; graduating as a 2nd Lt in the Army.  He completed Basic Training in Texas and fulfilled his military service at Ft. Lewis, Wash. Never wanting to be far from his family’s ranch, he moved back home to Orick where he became a part time dairy farmer with friend Bob Kring until the ’64 Flood. He would milk the cows in the early morning then drive to his job at CalTrans in Eureka. He met his wife, Karen Vanderpoel, in Orick when a CalTrans coworker set him up with her cousin who was visiting for the summer. They were married for 25 years and although their marriage ended, their friendship remained until her death in 2019. They raised their family in Eureka.

Donald had a 30-year career with California Division of Highways in Eureka, beginning as a surveyor and later retiring in 1992 as Senior Transportation Engineer for District 1. Over the span of his career at CalTrans, he surveyed the Oregon Mountain Tunnel and was part of the design team on the Elk River Overpass and Redwood Park Bypass among many other transportation projects in Humboldt and Mendocino counties. After retirement, Donald would hook up his fifth wheel and spend weeks in Arizona for Spring Training. He often took his fifth wheel on long road trips to Wymoning, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and Washington to visit family and friends. He cherished lifelong friendships with many of his high school classmates, never missing a chance to see them at class reunions. He loved the trips to Hawaii with his daughter and her family. He was very active in his grandkids lives, attending soccer games, swim meets and most Holiday celebrations. However, his favorite place to be was on the ranch in Orick. He could often be found tinkering in the shop, cutting wood or atop his Kubota mowing the lower fields to golf course standards.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Albert “Don” and Mary Lou Comstock, and former wife, Karen Comstock. Donald is survived by his son, Doug Comstock (Orick); daughter, Kim and husband, Matt Smith (Loomis); grandkids Luke and Brooke Smith; sister, Betty Sailors (Covington, Wash.); brother, Robert Comstock (Mollala, Wash.); cousin Donna Sinclair (Prescott, Ariz.); sisters-in-law Linda Vanderpoel (Roseville), Lorainne Heck and Sandra Vanderpoel (McKinleyville); and brother-in-law Kenny Heck (Blue Lake); as well as his beloved nieces and nephews.

We will be having a private celebration of life at a later date. We will hold you in our hearts until we can hold you in our arms in Heaven, Dad.

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