Coach Dewey Combs

Funeral services for former Trenton High School football coach Dewey Combs will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 1, 2017 at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Joplin with Father Joji Vincent officiating. Private family interment will be in Park Cemetery at Carthage.
A family visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 30, 2017 at the Parker Mortuary in Joplin.
Coach Combs, an 87-year-old resident of Carthage, died at his home from a sudden illness on Sunday, June 25, 2017.
Coach Combs was born on May 27, 1930, in Checotah, OK, the son of William Dewey Combs and Mattie Lou Willingham Combs.
He graduated from Springdale High School, then attended Pittsburg State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in physical education. He later received a master’s degree in education from the University of Missouri. He was a coach and teacher with several schools during his 30-year career. He compiled a record of 213-65-14 for four different schools, Golden City, Gallatin, Trenton and Joplin. His team at Trenton went undefeated twice and captured the state title in 1966. He began coaching at Joplin High School in 1967. He coached in Joplin schools for 19 years, compiling a record of 157-39-7, capturing 13 Ozark Conference Titles. In 1968, Joplin formed two high schools, Memorial and Parkwood, and Coach Combs became the head coach at Parkwood. He was the first and only head coach at Parkwood. He retired in 1985 after coaching the newly-consolidated Joplin High School for one season.
He had undefeated Missouri state championship teams at Parkwood in 1975, 1980 and 1983. The 1976 team was also undefeated but due to the Missouri point system, they were not included in the playoffs, sparking a change in the Missouri point system.
Coach Combs was elected into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2010, the Missouri High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1985 and, in 2015, Junge Stadium was renamed the Dewey Combs Athletic Complex at Junge Field in honor of the coach’s contributions to the sport and all the lives he influenced over the years.
Survivors include a daughter, Tracy Flanigan and her husband Matt of Carthage; a son, Jim Combs (member of the 1980 state championship team) and his wife, Suzie of Scottsdale, AZ; grandchildren, Kyle and Eric Combs and Anne and Bren Flanigan; a brother, Rick Combs and his wife, Darlene; a sister, Patricia; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn Combs, who died on Aug 14, 2001; two brothers, Curtis and William; and two sisters, Betty Lou and Ann.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Joplin School District Scholarship Fund. They may be mailed to the Parker Mortuary 1502 S. Joplin St., PO Box 2305, Joplin, MO 64803.