About

John Lee Comer - the Man

John Lee Comer (known as “Paw Paw”) was born 1911, in Barbour County, Alabama. He was a great man who always put everyone before himself.  Mr. Comer’s father passed when he was still quite young, and there began his journey of helping others.  Mr. Comer helped raise his siblings, as well as other relatives when there was a need.  His love for service and devotion extended to his church, St. Louis Baptist Church.  He joined as a young man and was a lifelong deacon until his last day.  In remembrance of Mr. Comer’s dedication and stewardship, the church has his name listed on the cornerstone as one of its original members.

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To provide the provision to support the vision of caring for his family, Mr. Comer started farming through sharecropping.  However, sharecropping was an inconsistent endeavor, in that it was not profitable every year.  Realizing this, Mr. Comer put in motion a plan to purchase the land he worked, and saved enough money to purchase 120 acres from the owner (Mr. Hutto); and later purchased an additional 40 acres. The farming paid dividends, and in 1952, Mr. Comer was able to purchase his first vehicle. This began the legacy of the great man the community knew and loved.  It is because of Mr. Comer’s his hard work that the family still owns the entire 160-acres he purchased so long ago – and it remains debt free.

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Mr. Comer was an avid sports fan, and his passion revolved around Baseball.  His grandson Bo Comer (and co-founder of Team RSK) recalls with joy walking the 120 acres with his grandfather, talking about building a major baseball field on what they used to call the “Big Time Field”. That was one of Mr. Comer’s dreams for the property.

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It was this dual passion for hard work to help others and sports to entertain others that led to Team RSK’s non-profit arm being named after Mr. Comer.  The John Lee Comer Center exemplifies Mr. Comer’s determination to make the world better, one helping hand at a time; and he always encouraged others to do the same.  He believed that you should always do for others and your blessings will come. He felt you should share your knowledge and not keep it to yourself. He believed that if you were not sharing your knowledge with others, then how could you help make someone else better.

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Mr. Comer helped all those around him understand that your goals can be achieved through hard work and dedication.  These are the fundamental building blocks of the Team RSK program to help youth become responsible leaders and citizens who positively contribute to society.