Marion Ray Comfort

November 8, 1929 – September 3, 2024

Marion Ray Comfort was born in a farmhouse south of Greenleaf, Idaho on November 8, 1929, the second of nine children to Ralph and Edith (Ellis) Comfort. He passed away peacefully September 3, 2024, in Newberg, Oregon at Friendsview Retirement Community.

Living in Idaho he entered first grade at Greenleaf Grade school. Then the family moved 260 miles north to Woodland and he continued school through 7th grade there. His dad’s job took them then to Headquarters where Marion attended school in Pierce for 8th and 9th grades. In 1944 Marion moved back to Greenleaf with his older brother Donald to board and attend and then graduate from Greenleaf Academy in 1947.

After graduating high school, Marion moved to Newberg, Oregon to work on campus buildings at Pacific College (now George Fox University). These included the dining hall, library, music hall, and the building of Brougher Science Hall.

In 1948 Marion moved back to Idaho and followed his older brother, Don’s, footsteps and drove a milk truck for three years delivering milk cans from farms to the creamery.

In 1951 Marion was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He served at Fort Hood Texas as a non-combatant, teaching doctors how to speed read and the comprehension of Army lingo. His brother Carroll joined him about a year later and they lived in the same barracks. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1953.

Marion moved back to Idaho and worked in the papermill in Lewiston, for a short time. The following year he went back to George Fox as a student and met Marcille Fankhauser, whom he then married September 4, 1954. Their ceremony was performed by Marcille’s father John Fankhauser, at Newberg Friends Church, where John was pastor at that time.

Together they had five children, John, Steve, Judi, Danny and Randy in six years. They were married 64 years until the passing of Marcille in 2017. After John was born in 1956 they moved to Brookings, Oregon where Marion built their home near the coastline. Marion was partner in Curry County Lumber for three and half years. He later drove truck hauling rock for the building of bridges and jetties along the southern Oregon coast.  During these years the rest of the children were born.

In 1963 Marion moved his family to Las Vegas on the promise of taking ownership of a car wash. A short time later, when that fell through, he spent the next eleven years driving a semi-truck hauling roofing materials – LA to LV. His favorite job of all time. During these years they developed lifelong friendships from the Trinity Temple Church.

In 1974 he moved the family back to Newberg where he worked construction, and then started his own carpet cleaning business. Comfort’s Carpet Cleaning was a very successful business for over 30 years, and he was well respected in the community. Also, upon returning to Newberg, they renewed their attendance at the Newberg Friends Church where Marion served in the twos & threes Sunday school, where he was known as Uncle Marion. Marion had a way of making everyone around him feel loved.

After retiring from his carpet cleaning business, which he sold to his son Dan, they traveled in their motorhome visiting their son Randy in Michigan, daughter Judi in Port Angeles, Washington, and many friends and family in Yuma, Arizona.

In 2008 Marion and Marcille joined the Friendsview Retirement Community as absentees and continued traveling until they moved into their first apartment there in 2011.

After being widowed June of 2017, Marion married Donna Coleman, who also lived at Friendsview, September 2018. They had six full years of marriage.

Marion was preceded in death by his wife Marcille, son John and daughter Judi (Jon Fodge). He is survived by his wife Donna, sons Steve (Elizabeth), Dan (Betsy), Randy (Annie), 16 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

Service will be held October 12, 2024, 2pm at Newberg Friends Church, Newberg, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers make donations payable to Evangelical Friends Mission in support of granddaughter Jonelle and Fred Liddell. https://catalog.friendsmission.com/campaign/efm-missionary-candidates-or-the-liddell-family/c580952