James A. Comer Sr.

Sunrise March 15, 1944                                             Sunset August 4, 2020

Mr. James Allen Comer, Sr., age 76, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great- grandfather of South Bend, Indiana went home to be with the lord on August 4, 2020.

James was born on March 15, 1944 to the union of Mattie and Horace Comer in Jackson, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by both parents, as well as his biological father, Ray Bass.

On July 12, 1986 James married the love of his life Viola. This love was truly #COUPLEGOALS. To this union, Andre and Fiona were born.

James graduated from IUSB in 1995, majoring in psychology. He worked at the White Farm equipment company for 14 years before the shutdown. He also worked at Steele Warehouse as president of the union IUE local 809, which led them to the first labor strike and helped negotiate the first pension plan. James went on to work at AWS as a job coach for 4 years. There he got to help disabled adults learn to work in the outside world. Lastly after working 20+ years at Century Center where he worked as a supervisor and a parking lot attendant, he retired in 2016.

James loved to cook for his family. Watching the food network channels was his favorite. After his illness took over, he still watched the food network and his wife prepared the meals he seen.  He also was a fan of Star Trek, Jeopardy and old country western movies. He had a sense of fashion and loved online shopping. We were so surprised when we tried to order things over the phone, and they knew him by his first name. James had a heart of gold. If you needed help or any type of advice, he was always there. He was so smart. And very handy. He fixed a lot of things around the house, up until he got ill. James loved playing pool, and when he got a chance, he loved teaching his grandkids how to shoot. 

James is survived by his loving wife Viola of 45 years. His 3 daughters, Fiona Comer, Mia Comer-Wilson, of South Bend, and Sonya (Jerome) Harris, of Oakland, California. His 3 sons, Andre Owens Sr., of South Bend, James Jr. (Monica) of Indianapolis, IN, and Darryl Comer of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Also cherishing his memory are 3 sisters, Myrtell Bass of San Francisco, CA, and Marilyn Hill of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Patricia Comer-Hayword, Jackson, Tennessee, 1 brother, Rudolph (Essie) Ross of Annapolis, Maryland, 1 auntie Beatrice Bunting of Inkster, MI. James is also survived by 23 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren. James is also survived by 2 special friends, Floyd Tyes and Eugene King. Along with a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and family.

James was grateful for his “medical advisor” Darla Hairston. She was his on-call nurse 24/7. Day or night. Thank you for all the late-night checkups, doctor visits. James was profoundly grateful for his “medical advisor” Darla Hairston. She stayed on call 24 hours, 7 days a week for him. Nurse Darla u worked many hours, and many years for him. James also shared a special bond with 4 nephews.  Rodney Sr, Ernest Jr, Duna Leonard, and Jermelle Jones, and 1 grandson Vincent Minor, who constantly called and visited with him. Those are memories that he cherished every day and appreciated every moment.

James was an AMAZING MAN. He touched many lives. He loved his family and would help anyway he could. His love, loyalty and smile will truly be missed by everyone he met. He fought a good battle all the way to the end. He always said that love kept him going. So, his family made sure to shower him with unconditional love every day.

James is preceded in death by his parents, Mattie and Horace Comer, and Raymond Bass. 1 brother, Ernest Comer SR., and 1 great grandson Noah. 

Graveside services will be at 1:00PM Friday, August 14, 2020 at Highland Cemetery, South Bend.  Burial will follow services.

Palmer Funeral Home – West Chapel, 2702 Lincoln Way West, South Bend, Indiana 46628, is assisting the family with arrangements.

Online condolences may be directed to the Comer family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.

God saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be:

So, he put his arms around you and whispered,

“Come with Me”. With tearful eyes we watched you suffer and saw you fade away.

Although we LOVED YOU DEARLY, we could not make you stay.

A GOLDEN HEART stopped beating, hardworking hands at rest.

GOD broke our hearts to prove us HE ONLY TAKES THE BEST

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