Police Chief Rick W. Combs
(1955-2025)
Rick was born on January 17, 1955 to William “Dempsey” and Georgia “Ruth” (Becknell) Combs. He was raised in Winton Place, graduated from New Richmond High School, and attended the University of Cincinnati for three years.
On December 5, 1975, upon graduating from the Norwood Police Academy, Rick was sworn in as an auxiliary officer for the Pierce Township Police Department. On April 4, 1976, he joined the Moscow Police Department as a part-time patrolman.
Shortly thereafter, on May 8, 1976, Sheriff John VanCamp appointed him as a jailer. He was promoted to deputy sheriff on May 20, 1977.
On February 25, 1980, Deputy Combs resigned from the Sheriff’s Office to join the City of Milford Police Department, where he rose through the ranks to become Administrative Lieutenant.
In 1991, Lieutenant Combs was appointed Chief of Police for the Glendale Police Department, serving with distinction and developing a reputation for innovation.
On October 6, 1997, Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg appointed him Chief Deputy, a position he held until August 31, 2012.
Deputy Chief Combs then went to work on the Clermont County Board of Elections.
On January 1, 2012, Goshen Township appointed him as Chief of Police for the Goshen Police Department. He retired again on February 3, 2016.
He continued to maintain his law enforcement certification as a Special Deputy Sheriff until December 31, 2022 and finally left law enforcement after 47 years of distinguished service.
Chief Combs died at Bethesda North Hospital on July 1, 2025 at the age of 70.
Chief Combs is survived by his wife of 36 years, Lori A. (Bell) Combs; daughters, Kaitlyn Combs, (Adam), and Mallory Combs (Brian and Taryn Garza); grandchildren, Ravyn Garza and Mila Murphy; and brother, Donald “Don” Combs.
A visitation will be held on Friday, July 11, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Tuft Schildmeyer Funeral Home at 129 N. Riverside Drive in Loveland. Funeral services will begin at 12:30 PM. Burial services will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Miamiville, OH, to follow.
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