Joan Lee Comer

Mrs. Joan Lee (Riffle) Comer, 76, of Jefferson, passed away peacefully at her home on Monday, August 15, 2011 with her family by her side after a nearly two year battle with lung cancer. She was the wife of Roy Lee Comer for 55 years. They were married on Nov. 22, 1956.

Born July 15, 1935 in Williamsport, she was the daughter of the late Leo Edward and Betty Lee (Creeger) Riffle.

She was a graduate of Hagerstown High School in 1953 and Washington County Hospital School of Nursing, class of 1956, earning her R.N. degree. Mrs. Comer had a love of nursing, which was her desired vocation since childhood. After receiving her degree, she served as Student Clinical Instructor at Washington County Hospital. She and Roy moved to Chestertown in 1958, where she served as Night Supervisor at Kent and Queen Anne's Hospital. Roy's teaching and coaching career took them to Martinsburg, W. Va., where she provided private duty nursing at City Hospital. After moving to Frederick, she had duty on the Medical Surgical Department, Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Care at Frederick Memorial Hospital.

In 1980, she went to work at Maryland School for the Deaf Health Center. She was accomplished in American Sign Language and provided medical care to deaf children. She retired in 1997. Mrs. Comer had a total of 40 years active in her nursing profession, and she touched the lives of many.

Mrs. Comer was a member of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Frederick, and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jefferson. She was a past president of Frederick Junior Women's Club, and was a past member of the Eastern Star.

She had a love of the ocean and for her homes in Avon, N.C. and in Jefferson. She enjoyed needlework, gardening, bird watching and was an avid reader.

Her husband, children and grandsons were the center of her life. Surviving in addition to her husband, Roy, are one son, Jeff Comer and his wife, Meg; two daughters, Jill Dahlgren and her husband, Bob, and Joy Kennedy; and eight grandsons, Clay Comer, Roy Comer, Brent Comer, Connor Stemple, Quinn Stemple, Heath Dahlgren, Vincent Kennedy and Zachary Kennedy.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at Keeney & Basford Funeral Home, 106 E. Church Street, Frederick. Funeral services for Mrs. Comer will begin at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 18 at Evangelical Lutheran Church, 31 East Church Street, Frederick. Officiating will be the Rev. Dr. W. Philip Fogarty.

Interment will follow in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hospice of Frederick County, P.O. Box 1799, Frederick, MD 21702.