R. George Comer
R. George Comer, of Chester Township, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Oct. 12, 2025.
A man with a story for every occasion, George Comer entered the world with one of his own. On May 6, 1929, when paternal presence in delivery rooms was a relatively new norm, George Sr., chose to mark the occasion elsewhere — in convivial company, at a bar. His mother, Clara, resolved upon her own quiet reply. Rather than naming her son “George Jr.” as agreed, she chose Raymond, after her favorite actor of the day. Fortunately for us all, the boy named out of spite chose to live without it.
Born into the great depression, George carried with him a lifelong frugality, respect for hard work, and disdain for vegetable soup, a constant of his early childhood. Though too young to serve in World War II, being just 16 in 1945, George spent his life earning his place among the Greatest Generation. Across 96 years, he collected titles of his own: entrepreneur, artist, pilot, outdoorsman and raconteur.
A graduate of East Technical High School, George embarked on a career in commercial art before founding his own studio in Cleveland’s Halle Building. Through the heyday of mid-century advertising, his illustrations graced billboards and storefronts—quiet signatures of a craftsman working behind the scenes of the “Mad Men” era of advertising.
Through it all, by his side, was his lifelong partner, Bernice Majewski. They married in 1951 and shared 63 years together, welcoming three children: Rosemary Ann, George and James Christopher.
Together, George and Bernice traveled the world in pursuit of adventure, hunting and fishing across Europe, Africa and the Americas. Their trophy room told the story: zebra, elk, water buffalo, grizzly bear, eland and, most notably, what was then the second-largest recorded moose in Alaskan history.
In the 1960s, George earned his pilot’s license and used it to reach remote regions of Canada, pursuing untouched wilderness for hunting and fishing. George relished the pursuit, but with characteristic candor, was always the first to admit: Bernice was the better shot. Bernice passed in 2015, leaving behind a partnership defined by devotion, exploration and unconditional love.
At his longtime home in Chesterland, Ohio, George found one of his greatest canvases. A natural spring ran through the property and, over decades, he transformed it into a koi pond oasis, complete with hand-laid stone paths, benches and footbridges. It was his sanctuary—part zen garden, part family gathering place and part personal gym, given the constant hauling of gravel, sand and cement.
Art remained a steady current throughout his life and the pond became yet another expression of that impulse. From his early career in commercial illustration to the paintings he created in his later years, George left behind a body of work that now lives on as treasured keepsakes among his family.
Yet of all his titles, the ones he cherished most were husband, father and grandfather. He will be remembered fondly by his three children, nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren, each raised on his wit, his resolve and fine example.
A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. at Fowlers Mill Cemetery, 12399 Fowlers Mill Road, Munson Township.
Arrangements are entrusted to Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.burrservice.com.
