William Alexander Dexter Coombs was born May 27, 1932, in Belvedere, Delaware. He departed this life on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. He was the son of the late Wesley Coombs and Zelma Coombs Willis. He was child number 9 out of 12 brothers and sisters. William attended school at the Simpson A.M.E. Church, Belvedere, and the Wilmington Public School system.
At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the Air Force. Following basic training, he was stationed in Savannah, Georgia, where he met his first wife, Marie Pelote. He and Marie had three children, William, Leslie (deceased), and Terri. While in the Air Force, he was stationed in 8 different states, North Africa, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand. After 27 years of military service, William retired and became a Correctional Officer for the Delaware Department of Correction. He worked at James T. Vaughn and Howard R. Young (Gander Hill) Correctional Institutes, where he retired after 20 years in the corrections industry.
Following his retirement, William became active in his church and served as a Trustee at John Wesley United Church, Milford, Delaware. He spent his time going to the gym, finding resources for “free” firewood, strawberry picking, and finding things to repair. His hobbies included wood carving, fishing, hunting, gardening, and wine making.
William was a dedicated believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and was an example to those who knew him. He was husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend.
He and Marie stayed married 61 years (minus one month) before Marie’s death in 2013. Following her death, William began hanging out with friends from the gym, and his relationship with Ms. Sheila Bigelow became very special.
On October 14, 2021, at the age of 90, William and Sheila were married, and they shared 3 years, 9 months of life together until her death in July of this year.
William leaves to cherish his memory, his son Dexter Coombs; daughter, Terri (Nathaniel) Townsend; sister, Arlene Haywood; sister-in-law, Joyce Willis; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William , please visit Bennie Smith’s floral store.
