March 9, 1952 – Dec. 29, 2016

NATCHEZ — A memorial service celebrating the life of Robert “Buzzy” Combs  will be 2 p.m. Friday at Laird Funeral Home Chapel.
Visitation will be from noon until service time Friday at the funeral home.
Mr. Combs was born on March 9, 1952, in Chickasha, Okla., the son of Carl Wiley Combs and Virginia Lee Long Combs.
He was a 1970 graduate of Natchez High School and attended University of Mississippi, Louisiana State University and University of Southern Mississippi. Before retiring he was employed in various aspects of financial services.
Robert was a voracious reader and wrote poetry from an early age, winning numerous awards through the years. A compilation of his work, “The Doors are Open: Forty Years of Poetry”, was published in 2006.
Robert’s greatest loves were God, his girls, books, music and all people.  With a passion for truth and a great appreciation of intelligent debate, Robert welcomed every opportunity to exchange ideas which he expressed with passionate, thoughtful reasoning and often humor.  Even when his opinion differed from others’ opinions, his kindness and compassion never wavered.  Many of the sentiments expressed by his friends share a common thread: love of others regardless of differences. As one friend wrote, “Such a sweet, gentle spirited soul who treated others with open kinship in his life, always writing as a true humanitarian, pulling doors open for others to join him with his mission to spread peace, love and light.” (And rock and roll!)  We will miss you dearly, “Buzzzzz”.
Robert loved God and the teachings of Jesus, and also found inspiration in studying the spirituality of other religions.  While he expressed his faith through several denominations in his early years, he spent his adult life as a Catholic.
Mr. Combs was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include the love of his life, his wife, Jennifer Ogden Combs; four daughters, KC Williams and husband, Wes, Jenny Bulkley and husband, Stephen, Kelly Gay and husband, Shannon, and Carleigh Combs; six grandchildren, Drew Lee, Lily Garretson, Jude Williams, Seth Terrell, Ava Kate Walker and Emma Bulkley; one sister, Ann Combs Tillman; two sisters-in-law, Lucinda Ogden and husband, Charlie Brenner, and Matilda Stephens; and a number of nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Habitat for Humanity or the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society.
Online condolences may be sent to lairdfh.com.