Clifford Henry Combs Jr.

Clifford Henry Combs Jr. "Skipp" was a man for whom actions would speak louder than words. His life motto might well have been “if it isn’t logical, it’s not important.” The qualities of being fair, just and the ability to recognize what was right were clearly driving forces in Clifford’s life. He was also the kind of person who could respect a “do not disturb” sign, whether it was real or implied. He was analytical and observant, with an ability to be simultaneously spontaneous and keenly perceptive. Clifford was modest in his actions and extremely literal in his thoughts and in the manner in which he communicated with others. When Clifford said something, he meant it. All those who knew him appreciated this trademark quality.

      Clifford was born on August 6, 1968 at Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia. His parents were Clifford Henry Combs Sr. and Brenda Joyce Combs. Clifford was raised in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Even as a small child, Clifford wanted to understand what was right and what was wrong in any given situation. As Clifford grew older, he realized the importance of being treated fairly, and in return, he treated everyone around him the same way. This belief in fair play served Clifford well throughout his life and despite his natural shyness; he enjoyed a solid group of friends.

      Since Clifford sought to treat those around him with respect, he often found himself in the role of playing peacemaker within his family. He was comfortable in working through the types of sibling rivalry situations that quite often occur, because he loved the challenge of conflict resolution. He would look at the most reasonable and practical ways to settle any disputes. Clifford was raised with 4 siblings. He had two brothers, Mark and Matt, and two sisters Anita and Crystal. Clifford was constantly involved in activities with his siblings. Clifford and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they shared many life experiences.

      During his childhood, family and friends viewed Clifford as a quiet and reserved person with what most would consider a calm and tranquil demeanor. In fact, he was a fairly curious child who had the ability to entertain himself and didn’t require much in the way of outside stimulation. A great deal of Clifford’s free time was spent learning how and why the things around him worked. He was an active child who loved being outdoors and absorbing all the sensory input that nature could provide. He took part in football. In his spare time he liked collecting and reading comic books, listening to music, fishing, and hunting.

      The fact that he was curious was an asset to Clifford while he was in school. He possessed strong study skills and good concentration. He relished the task of scrutinizing problems, investigating all of the options and then solving them. Clifford enjoyed tackling the project that was right in front of him and working it straight through to its conclusion. Sometimes, he would become so involved in the process of problem solving that he would lose awareness of his surroundings. Experience was Clifford’s best teacher. He graduated from Beech High School in 1985. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was History. He will be remembered by classmates as the tallest football player on the team and the funniest.

      The same qualities that served as assets for Clifford while he was in high school were tools that built success in his college years. His ability to work through problems and assignments without wasting time and energy demonstrated to his instructors that he possessed a real “stick to it” attitude that allowed him to succeed despite an underlying desire to defer making difficult decisions. Clifford was an analytical and an independent thinker, qualities that allowed him to develop and implement effective strategies and techniques to meet his college workload. He studied Culinary Arts at Tennessee Culinary Institute and he was studying business and finance as well as business law at St. Petersburg College. Clifford's other interests were participating in the debate team at St. Petersburg College.

      Those who didn’t know Clifford well might have thought him to be objective and somewhat emotionally detached, but family and friends who were close to him knew that he was capable of unexpected flashes of humor. Clifford’s good friends tended to be “thinkers” like himself. Even though the circle of friends was somewhat small, it was a strong and loyal group, and Clifford liked nothing better than to spend his free time with them. Clifford was well known for always being up front and open, never hiding his true feelings, qualities that drew deep loyalty from his friends because they understood and appreciated him for the person he was. Another quality that people admired in Clifford was his ability to link cause and effect and apply the appropriate connection in his assessment of any new situation. Later in life, he became friends with Wes Chitwood, Scott Estes, Alberto Filemon,.

      This same loyalty and up front honesty Clifford shared with his friends carried over to other aspects of his life, including his relationships with his family. On January 2, 2005, Clifford exchanged wedding vows with Amanda Michelle Millner at the Hillsborough Court House of Tampa, Florida. The marriage became a solid relationship, due in part to Clifford’s skill at bringing fresh energy and clarity to meeting Amanda's needs. He was a great listener who enjoyed the couple’s “together” time, especially when it came to celebrating special occasions.

      As the family grew, Clifford was easily able to adapt to the changes and challenges of parenthood. Clifford was blessed with Five Children, three daughters, Julia, Aurora, and Hope, and two sons Gabriel and AJ. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Blake, Jordan, Liberty, Bella, Dylan, and Wyatt. Clifford was never impulsive in dealing with family problems. Instead, he would carefully think things through before implementing the solution in a logical and objective manner. Clifford was a strong, clear communicator who excelled at eliminating confusion by making matters crystal clear to all those involved. At the same time, Clifford’s inventive nature could turn some of the boring old household chores into a fun activity for the family.

      In his work life, Clifford was the kind of person who had no difficulty in taking on a project and seeing it through to its completion. He excelled at dealing with those pesky details that can derail some people, and once he understood exactly why he was working on a project, he could plow full steam ahead. For Clifford, being able to grasp the logical components of any task was significant to him in appreciating its importance. Even if he worked alone on an assignment, Clifford was able to incorporate and welcome new insights from co-workers, and he would readily use them if they improved the process. His primary occupation was a Business Owner and Chef. He was the Kitchen Manager at Lee Roy Selmon's from, 1999-2001, The Former Training and Development Manager at Family Sports Concepts Inc, Beef O' Brady's Corp from 2001-2005, Former Director of Operations at Rattlefish Raw Bar and Grill Bayside Restaurant Group from 2003-2007, Former Chef an Operating Partner at Hammerheads Island Grill and Raw Bar from 2006-2008, Operating Partner at Southern Hospitality Restaurant Group Inc. From 2011 to 2021, Owner of Munch and Grub Hospitality from 2017 to 2021. Clifford always made the effort to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Clifford’s curious and inquisitive nature influenced his choice of leisure pursuits as well. He applied his strong concentration and analytical skills as to how things worked to his choice of activities. He particularly enjoyed the “alone” time his hobbies provided. His favorite pursuits were cooking and creating his own recipes, video games, reading books and comic books, listening to music, watching movies, comic book and collectible collecting, and a huge Star Wars and Marvel/DC fan. Clifford was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

      Clifford had the ability to stay calm and the determination to do what was necessary to get the job finished, traits that helped him enjoy sports. In high school, Clifford played football. Recreational sports included golfing and bowling.

      Clifford was an asset to any organization he joined. In many ways, he was a man of action who would rather tackle a job than spend time chatting about irrelevant things. He worked well on small committees and excelled at focusing on the important details without getting bogged down by the unnecessary parts of an assignment. In college, Clifford joined the debate team and the Golden Key honor society. Throughout his later years, Clifford was an active member of the Wounded Warrior Project.

      If Clifford believed in a cause or an idea, he was willing to work hard on its behalf. Politically, Clifford was a strong supporter of the Republican Party.

      Clifford appreciated the occasions when he was able to travel and get away on a vacation. He enjoyed learning about different locales and was open to exploring new and different places. Favorite vacations included Disney World and Universal Studios. He thoroughly enjoyed the task of gathering and analyzing travel information as he prepared for an upcoming trip.

      Clifford was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Clifford’s favorites was Meow Meow, a mixed Tuxedo Cat. They were best friends for 14 years. His family was rounded out by his two kittens Cookie and Stormi, and his salt water and fresh water fish.

      Clifford passed away on September 3, 2021 at Advent Health North Pinellas in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Clifford fought a brave battle against brain cancer and Covid-19. He is survived by his children Julia, Gabriel, Aurora, AJ, and Hope; his grandchildren Blake, Jordan, Liberty, Bella, Dylan, and Wyatt; his brothers Mark and Matt and his sisters Anita and Crystal. Services were held at Blount & Curry Funeral Home. Clifford was laid to rest in Garden of Memories Cemetery in Tampa, Florida.

      Clifford strongly believed that talk is cheap. He was the type of person who would show others his feelings through his actions. He was practical and realistic but was able to be flexible when the need arose. He had a curiosity about the things around him and tried to experience life directly rather than sit back and talk about it. The experiences he treasured most were those he shared with his loved ones. Clifford Henry Combs Jr. will be greatly missed.