David Paul Colombo

David Paul Colombo, 76, died after a brief illness on Thursday, October 30. He was a loving husband of 52 years to his wife Sue, a devoted father to his daughter Katherine Cline Ashler and son Paul Colombo, and a proud Papa to his grandchildren Andrew Colombo, David Colombo and Julia Cline. Dave grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, and attended Our Lady Queen of Martyrs and Brother Rice High School. Upon graduation Dave joined the Irish Christian Brothers where he studied and served in Illinois and California before receiving his degree in History and Religion from the University of Detroit. After moving to Tallahassee, Dave served in both state and local government. He began his career with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and transitioned to the Governor’s Office under Governor Askew to serve as Administrator of the Statewide Grand Jury and Organized Crime Division. He also served under Governors Graham, Martinez and Chiles. One of his proudest professional achievements was being selected as part of the team to start the Florida Lottery and his role as Assistant Secretary of the Florida Lottery. Later he served in Leon County government with the Leon County Commissioners and Facilities Management. In addition to government service, Dave was active in many community activities. He served as President of the Killearn Kiwanis, as well as Treasurer for many years. He volunteered for many community activities such as the Salvation Army, Big Bend Hospice, Kids Voting, K-Kids, and Babe Ruth Board of Directors. He also served on the Homeowners Boards of Highgrove and Lafayette Oaks. He is survived by his wife Sue Colombo; daughter Katheine Cline Ashler (Andy); son Paul Colombo (Katie); sister Jayne Berkaw (John) of Fort Myers, Florida; brother Bill Colombo (Amy) of Traverse City, Michigan; and his devoted childhood friend Greg Gromek. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Frances Colombo; and son-in-law Wesley Cline. A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, November 6 at 2 p.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee. A reception will follow at the family home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Dave’s memory to the Killearn Kiwanis Club (6795 Quail Valley Road, Tallahassee, FL 32309) or the Faith Presbyterian Library (2200 N. Meridian Road, Tallahassee, FL 32303) Niki Carney of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Colombo family with their arrangements.

Tributes

David Paul Colombo

April 21, 1949 - October 30, 2025