Joseph Peter Comiske Jr.

Joe was born on September 2, 1933 to Joseph Peter Comiske, Sr. and Mary Rita Ellis in Long Beach, CA. He grew to become an intelligent, disciplined, and confident young man. As a high school senior, he was awarded Best Diver in the State of California while on the diving team at Jordan High School. After graduating in 1952, he went on to earn his degree in Mathematics at Long Beach State College and then joined the US Air Force as a First Lieutenant.

He was always with the prettiest girl in the room, and in 1960, married Cleo Pauline Gallelo. They went on to have two beautiful children, Cheryl and Craig.

Joe proudly served his country as a combat Fighter Pilot in the US Air Force, flying over 100 combat missions in Vietnam before becoming an instructor for the next generation of young pilots at the Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. While stationed in Hawaii in 1980, Major Comiske took a full retirement with an honorable military discharge at the age of 46 and never looked back.

During retirement, Joe didn’t slow down. He put his math degree to good use, spending his days studying & mastering the American Securities Market and enjoyed a cold beer in the evenings. For nearly a decade he dedicated the majority of each year to learning a new language before taking his wife on a month long trip in which she experienced international culture without the need for an outside interpreter. While stateside, he had fond memories of teaching his grandchildren how to swim, dive, play chess, and calculate compounding interest.

He is survived by his wife, Cleo, his children, Cheryl and Craig, eight personality-filled grandchildren, and one blissful great-grandchild.

Joe will be laid to rest on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 in the mausoleum at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Boulder City, Nevada.