Abbott Carson Combes IV
Abbott Carson "Kit" Combes, an editor at The New York Times Magazine who helped create its "About Men" column, died from lung cancer on December 26 in Mount Kisco, N.Y. A native of Pittsfield MA, Kit came to Dartmouth from the Berkshire School. He was a member of Green Key and managed the baseball team.
Kit's first job in the newspaper business was at the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA. He next was at the Washington Post where he was on the Metro desk as the Watergate story was breaking. He was a portfolio editor at the Washington Star before moving on to the New York Times in 1981. At The Times, Mr. Combes worked as an editor and writer for the Sunday magazine until his death
According to his obituary, "As the first editor of 'About Men', which made its debut as a weekly column in 1983 and ran until 1996, he signed up many of the writers who made the column one of the magazine's most popular features. He also wrote sprightly articles about shaving his beard and the beauty of the bow tie. He wore one, with walking shorts, a jacket and sockless loafers, from Memorial Day to Labor Day." He was married twice, to Alice Schwab and Constance W. Wardrop. He is survived by his companion, Marion McKeone, three daughters, Andrea W. Combes of East Greenwich, R. I., and deRaismes Combes and Ada Barker Combes, both of Bedford Hills, N.Y.; and three grandchildren, Mary August, Axel, and Berit Olsson. Kit lived in Katonah, NY.
