Thomas Comer Jr. died suddenly Nov. 12 at his home in Amherst, New York. He was 54.
Comer was a mattress industry veteran and the retired former owner and chief executive officer of Restonic Mattress Corp. licensee Alliance Sleep Products, based in Buffalo, New York.
He first joined the company, then called Royal Bedding Co., in 1991 and later purchased it.
Comer steadily grew production and distribution, and he eventually bought a second plant. In 2002, he acquired Restonic licensee Jackson Mattress in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
In 2016, Comer sold Alliance Sleep and his interest in Restonic to Visionary Sleep, founded by husband and wife duo and former top Serta executives, Barbara Bradford and Bob Sherman.
Laurie Tokarz, chief sales officer of Visionary Sleep who worked with Comer for more than 15 years and served as president of Alliance Sleep, said, “(Tom) was the most humble man I’ve known in this industry. Truly, he was focused on providing a stable work environment for his employees and gave all the opportunity to better themselves. He was my best friend (and) like a brother to me. The loss is so shocking; the pain deep.”
Comer was born in Williamsville, New York. As an advocate for Catholic primary and secondary education, Comer was active in the Bison Children’s Scholarship Fund, which provides tuition assistance to low-income students who attend Catholic schools in Western New York. Comer had been a board member of the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation since 1999 and served as its president in 2007 and 2008.
He was a dedicated father, devoted husband and someone who was “filled with joyful energy and steadfast dedication to find the good in others,” according to an obituary published by the Comer family. He gave back to the community and “wanted to see other businesses flourish as his own had, knowing that shared success would lead to a brighter Buffalo.”
He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Joseph Comer Sr. Survivors include his wife, Jean; children Aileen, Joseph, Mary Kathryn, Sarah and Thomas; his mother, Eileen; sisters Anne O’Neill, Catherine Helm, Melissa Williams and their spouses; and many nieces and nephews.
Condolences may be shared at the funeral home’s website, Amigone.com/Obituary/Thomas-J.-Comer-Jr./Amherst-New-York/1763911.
