Gene Dewey Combs

Gene Dewey Combs, 79, of Mount Airy, Maryland, passed from this life on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Lorien Assisted Living in Mount Airy. He was the husband of the late Linda Combs who died in 2020.

Born on April 9, 1947, in Long Beach, CA, he was the son of the late Floyd George Frederick Combs and Lucy Marjorie Callendar Clark.

After high school and college, he joined the U.S. Navy in 1968 serving until 1980. Gene used his military training to obtain his civilian job in communications for several years with NCR NCRComten and MCI until 1984, when he joined IBM in various technical roles. He worked with IBM until his division was sold to Loral. His expertise homed in on network engineering in the late 1980's when his division was sold to Lockheed Martin. He supported the defense contracts and in the 1990's assisted in the evolution of the international air traffic control systems. In the early 2010's his division was again sold to Leidos where he ultimately retired from in November 2021.

After 22 years of a tumultuous marriage, Linda and Gene committed themselves to following Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It was then that they realized God had brought them from a place of unfathomable discord to a point healing. They soon realized they needed to share the reality of their struggles with other couples so they, too, could see transformation in their own marriages by following God's design for marriage.

With a passion for supporting couples in their marriage, Gene and Linda served alongside Pastor Joey and Missy in the Marriage Ministry at the Church of the Redeemer in Gaithersburg for eight years, where he also sang in the choir. As life changed, he joined Deep Waters Tabernacle in Ijamsville in 2016 where he worshipped.

As a young man, Gene enjoyed playing pool and pinochle with friends. After marriage he spent his time watching kids sports as well as going on cruises with Linda.

Gene was predeceased by his brother, Mike; his son, Richard Floyd Combs (2019); and his wife, Linda Rae Twining Combs (2020). He is survived by his daughter, Kristen Clark and

husband Thomas; grandsons, Joseph Clark, and Jonathan Clark; a sister Mary Kuhl and husband Carey (TX).

A celebration of Gene's life will take place at Deep Waters Tabernacle, 9861 Old National Pike, Ijamsville, MD 21754 on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 1 PM. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the above-named church.