BLOOMINGTON − Monroe County lost one of its most passionate defenders and citizens on Tuesday, Jan. 6, when Dan “Carp” Combs died.
People throughout the community have been expressing their sorrow and sharing their connections to the man who served as a Perry Township trustee for 40 years, was a retired high school teacher, spoke out on the local radio station and publications, including in a bi-weekly column in The Herald-Times in years past. In later years, Combs also sometimes wrote guest columns as well.
On Wednesday morning, a tribute to Combs greeted the staff at the Perry Township office. The memorial with bouquets of flowers, a balloon, sign that said “Miss You!” as well as tea light candles in a heart shape and “little umbrellas you put in drinks,” something he shared with Katie Norris, who created the memorial.
Norris, who now operates Hotels for Homeless, shared her history with Combs in a Facebook post that detailed how he was first her world geography teacher at Bloomington High School South who helped her through teenage struggles. “There is no way I would have graduated high school without him! He constantly told us to, ‘Relax, kick your feet up, and have a drink with a little umbrella in it.”
Combs helped Norris again, when she was an adult, first helping pay for her rent and then giving her support with Hotels for Homeless. Eventually, Norris was able to give back by providing shelter for people who were outside the township office.
In the township office on Wednesday morning, Barbara Sturbaum, Perry Township board president, shared her thoughts. “There are a lot of types of government that deals with lots of things but the township office deals with people and that’s what Dan loved. He care about the residents. He care about people.”
Sturbaum began her tenure with the township the same year as Combs — 1986. She said Combs set the tone for the office, with he and the staff looking for people in need, often quietly. It was Combs who led the Perry Township office to purchase a couple of buildings. One is where Area 10 Agency on Aging operates apartments for elderly people; the other is Friends Place, a homeless shelter.
In addition, Combs and the board have allowed nonprofit groups helping people in need to share office space with the township — with My Sister’s Closet, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard and currently New Leaf-New Life.
Misty James, assistant director of New Leaf-New Life, said Combs was the person who first “saw” her and then helped her out of years of addiction and incarceration, helping her go from being an “unhoused community member” to her current position.
“Dan has been with me my whole journey,” James said. “He wasn’t an elected official to us. He was our friend. … I learned so much from Dan — how to register to vote and how to make pickles.”
James and Heather Bland, reentry care manager, were still in shock on Wednesday, but working, as they know Combs would want.
“His reach was so vast,” Bland said. “He helped so many people who didn’t even know his name.”
“He saw people,” James said, followed by Bland, “And he taught other people how to do that as well. … He is Bloomington community at its best.”
Combs also was active in the Monroe County Democratic Party, taught for a year at the Wabash Valley Correctional Center and was awarded the 2015 Indiana Township Trustee of the Year. That plaque was one of the many honors that adorned a wall in his new Perry Township office, where people were bringing flowers, fruit and other items to share with the staff.
Other posts on social media
Julio Alonso, executive director of Hoosier Hills Food Bank, shared a post on Facebook: “In all my experience I found no greater advocate for those experiencing poverty, food insecurity or housing struggles than Dan Combs. His light will continue to shine in the legacy he created with his support of so many people and organizations. He is THE example of why township government is so important in Indiana.”
Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard Facebook post said: “The Hub’s history is intricately tied to Dan Combs’s legacy. Under his leadership, Perry Township offered us a home that held our pantry for years; the township continued to support our pantry when we moved to our current location.
“While some leaders become stagnant after years in their role, Dan maintained curiosity in his commitment to our community. He continued to examine the how and why of food insecurity and think creatively about investing in mitigation its impact. And we continued to learn from him.”
Community Kitchen shared a Facebook post: “Community Kitchen joins the community in mourning our friend and tireless advocate, Perry Township Trustee, Dan Combs. Dan has been a vital community leader and champion of those in need. His support of Community Kitchen has been longstanding and steadfast. He was instrumental in our “growing up,” supporting each phase of growth over the years. Thank you, Dan.”
Who will determine the Perry Township trustee?
To fill Combs’ position as the Perry Township trustee, the precinct committee will meet and vote for the person who will fill the post until after elections in November. Then the person elected in November will take over the post in 2027, according to board president Sturbaum.
Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington residents share impact Dan ‘Carp’ Combs had on community
Reporting by Carol Kugler, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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