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- Napa Valley Register (CA)
March 3, 2010
Donald Haskell McComber passed away peacefully at his home in Oakville, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 26, 2010, after living a full life with pancreatic cancer for five and a half years. As she has been throughout, his loving wife, Mary Ann McGuire, was at his side.
Don married Mary Ann in 1997, and they lived together in the family home in Oakville for 13 years. Their years together were filled with activities surrounding Don's philanthropic endeavors, travel, gardening and family.
Born in Oxnard, Calif., on March 18, 1929, to the late G. Donald and Ellyne "Dolly" Haskell McComber, Don grew up on his father's orange farm in Buena Park. He spent much of his youth working on the farm and playing baseball, which imbued a strong work ethic and a passion for sports. When he graduated from high school in 1947, Don declined a minor-league contract offered by the New York Yankees in order to attend, and play first base for, Stanford University. He remained close to "The Farm" for the rest of his life as a member of its athletic board, a significant donor and a faithful supporter of Stanford athletics and academics.
After graduating from Stanford in 1951, Don married Jane Troxell and was commissioned into the Coast Guard. He served as commanding officer of a patrol boat assigned to search-and-rescue operations along the Southern California coast before concluding his active duty two years later as a lieutenant junior grade. He remained proud of his military service for the rest of his life.
In 1954, Don embarked on his 37-year career in the insurance industry by accepting a position with Industrial Indemnity Company. Don and Jane moved back to the Stanford area that same year and celebrated the birth of twin girls, Debbie and Dana. The family relocated frequently during the next nine years before settling permanently in Orinda, Calif., in 1963. Don rose quickly at Industrial Indemnity's San Francisco headquarters, and by 1970 at age 41, he had been promoted to executive vice president.
In 1973, Don married Barbara Goss and the couple moved to Hillsborough, Calif. When Industrial Indemnity was acquired by Crum & Forster in 1981, Don joined C&F as vice chairman and relocated to Bernardsville, N.J. In 1986, Don returned to his beloved California where he joined Fireman's Fund Insurance as president of commercial operations. He and Barbara built a home in the Napa Valley and planted a 20-acre vineyard. Returning to his farming heritage, Don found endless pleasure driving his tractor and overseeing the development of his cabernet vineyard throughout his years in Napa and Oakville.
Although Don retired in 1991, he continued to serve as a member, director or chair of a number of professional and nonprofit organizations. Don began his close association with the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in 1993 by first joining and later presiding over its foundation board. He served as chair of the board of trustees in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, he led the Partners for a Healthy Napa Valley capital campaign, raising $16 million for the upgrade of the Queen and establishment of its state-of-the-art Wellness Center. For his years of dedicated service to the Queen, Don received the President's Award for Excellence in 2004.
Don will be remembered for his leadership, his integrity, his business judgment and his philanthropy. But he will be especially remembered for his dedication to his family and community and for his generous personality.
Don is survived by his wife, Mary Ann McGuire; by his half-brother, Walter "Bud" Gage; by his children with Jane: Deborah McComber and Dana Flynn; by Barbara's children: Betsy Stilwell, John Goss and Mindy Shipley; by Mary Ann's children: Thomas Gamble, James Gamble and Aimee Price; and by his 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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1929 - 2010 (80 years)
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