David Richard Kominz, MD

Age 98, of Weston, Massachusetts, passed away on November 4, 2022.  David is survived by his devoted wife of 34 years, Phyllis (Damon) and her loving family, Monica Cohen and granddaughter Ellie Crigler of South Berwick, Maine, to whom he was known as "Papa." Also survived by Mark Simonzi, loving husband of Phyllis' son Danny Cohen (predeceased). David is also survived by his three children and their families: Laurence R. Kominz (Toshimi Tanaka), of Portland, Oregon, and grandchildren Leo and Maya Tanaka-Kominz of Tokyo, Japan; Michelle A. Kominz and her partner Ellen S. Catlin of Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Bruce H. Kominz (Susan) of Plymouth, New Hampshire. He is also survived by his loving sister Esther K. Friedmann of Clarks Green, Pennsylvania. David leaves a large extended family of loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was born in Rochester, New York, on April 2, 1924, to the late Dr. Jacob S. and Emily (Rosenbloom) Kominz. During early World War II David entered Harvard and completed his freshman and sophomore studies in one year before enlisting in the Army Specialized Training Program. ASTP extended beyond military training to graduate studies at the University of Rochester Medical School, from which David received his MD after being honorably discharged at the end of the war.

David began his distinguished career as a medical researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and an officer in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). His research interest was in the study of muscle and protein biochemistry. From 1965 to 1968 he was Pacific Office Chief of the NIH in Tokyo, Japan, where he was responsible for advancing the program and policy interests of NIH, and the scientific knowledge, training, and research objectives of U.S. scientists and U.S. scientific institutions. By his retirement in the early 1970s, Dr. David Kominz was Section Chief of Bioenergetics in the Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry within the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases (NIAMD). After retirement from NIH he had a brief second career as a researcher at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and lived in Northborough, Massachusetts.

In the late 1980s David met Phyllis Damon. They married and David moved to Weston. Being semi-retired, David jumped right in to help Phyllis with her craft business. They made kits and wrote instruction books for children. They worked trade shows together. True to form, David was a deeply devoted husband, stepfather, and stepgrandfather. With his new granddaughter Ellie he spent countless hours enjoying children's music, digging for worms in the garden, and counting bats as day turned to night.

David believed strongly in public service. He served on the Weston Board of Health and on the Weston Emergency Response Care Team. He and Phyllis could be found working the polls for the past thirty years. David was also a volunteer in the Boston Museum of Fine Art's Egyptian department.

On the home front, Phyllis and David built a garden. This was a major focus of their lives, providing years of devoted activity nurturing a once fairly empty acre into a world class garden that is now visited by gardeners from all over New England. Together they enjoyed visiting nurseries, collecting unusual specimens, and making close friends throughout the Northeast.

Memorial Service

Sunday, November 13th

First Parish Church in Weston

349 Boston Post Rd, Weston, MA 02493

Service at 2:00 pm with reception immediately following at the church.

Live stream the memorial service:

https://uuma.zoom.us/j/91867238836

Meeting ID: 9186  7238 836

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Heifer International https://www.heifer.org