Mary Holmes McCombs (age 104) was born April 3, 1916 in Neenah, Wisconsin. She came to California with her parents in 1919, settling in Riverside, where she grew up and went through school, including RCC. She graduated from the University of Redlands in 1937, and started work at the Riverside County Welfare Department, as a social worker.
In October 1943 she enlisted in the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), and served in the Hospital Corps, at Treasure Island Naval Hospital, until the war ended in 1945. She was a charter member of WIMSA (Women in Military Service in America), and returned to work in Riverside until 1950.
In 1948 she married Ray McCombs and moved to Rialto, CA where Ray was a building contractor. They raised five children. In 1962 she returned to work for the San Bernardino County Adoption Service, where she placed several hundred adoptive babies, until she retired in 1978. She was active in community and educational affairs, being a member of the American Association of University Women and other civic organizations. In June 1995 she began serving on the task force to build the Rialto Senior Center, which was completed in 2003. She also served on their board, as well as on the board of the University of Redlands retired alumni, and the Rialto Symphony Guild.
After Ray’s death in 1983 she helped establish the Morrow/McCombs Memorial Lecture Series at CSUSB, designed to foster better understanding between Christians, Jews and Muslims. The lecture series is still active.
In October 2000, she was awarded a Citizen of Achievement Award from the San Bernardino League of Women Voters. April 3rd, 2016, was designated “Mary McCombs Day” for Rialto, by proclamation of Mayor Deborah Robertson, in honor of her 100th birthday.
Mary remained an active member of the American Association of University Women, PEO, the San Bernardino Symphony Guild and Symphony, and the Rialto Historical Society. She was also an active member of Saint John XXIII Catholic Church (formerly St. Thomas Moore), where she served as a lector and in the Altar Society.
She is survived by her sister, Betty Cooper, sons Patrick, Thomas and Stephen, and her daughter Catherine Downes. Mary has 11 grandchildren and 4 greatgrandchildren.
Services to be held at St. John XXIII, 222 E. Easton Street, Rialto, on the 20th of June at 10am, followed by internment at Rialto Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Morrow/McCombs Endowment at Cal State University San Bernardino, the Catholic Charities, AAUW’s Tech Trek (San Gorgornio Branch), or a charity of choice.
