Deceased Date Unknown
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In Memory
Josh Comfort (born Joe Robert, known as Joe Bob at Amherst) had an easy grace and natural manner that (fitting his name) made you comfortable in his presence. He was multitalented. While a gifted athlete, he preferred to focus on music, as student conductor of the orchestra and as a virtuoso French horn player. He was an independent who embodied creativity, curiosity and generosity.
He met his first wife, Randy Lee, while in college, and they settled in Denver, Colo., to raise their children—Megan, Justin, Mathew ’96 and Loren. Josh obtained master’s degrees in city planning and architecture. In 1991, he established Josh Comfort Architecture and enjoyed a long career restoring historic buildings and helping spearhead the blossoming of the lower downtown area. He served the city generously as a commissioner on the Denver Commission of Cultural Affairs, as a board member of the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District and in numerous other design and art roles.
Also in 1991 (annus mirabilis!), Josh met Kate Culligan, who in 1994 became his beloved wife. The happy couple traveled off the beaten paths in Europe, South America and Asia; supported the arts in Denver and Taos, N.M. (their adopted second home); and renovated an array of houses. One highlight of Josh and Kate’s travels was their 2019 trek on the Camino de Santiago in Portugal and Spain, where they walked 116 miles of the sacred route.
As an adult, Josh loved singing in a quartet (The Fourgone Conclusion) and performing in Opera Colorado productions. Unsurprisingly, Josh turned to music for solace during the pandemic, taking video lessons to learn to play a cello he inherited from his grandfather.
He is missed by many and will be remembered for his smile and his zest for life.
Mathew Comfort ’96