FEDERAL PUBLIC HOUSING EXECUTIVE
John T. Comerford passed away peacefully on 4/25/2014. He had been a summer resident of Provincetown and Truro, Massachusetts since his retirement in 1995. He was the son of the late Charles A. Comerford and Mary Mahoney Comerford. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on July 29, 1932. He was predeceased by his brother, Charles L. Comerford of Houston, Texas and his sister Mary Jane Comerford Cronin of Vienna, Virginia. He is survived by his sister, Ann Comerford Kelly of Yorba Linda, California and his beloved nieces and nephews. He spent his entire youth at his family’s home in Belmont until he left for Harvard University. He graduated with an AB in Economics in 1954. During his early adulthood he suffered with the disease of alcoholism. With the help of the people and the program devoted to assisting persons so afflicted, he stopped the use of alcohol on April 12, 1969. That was one of the most Blessed days of his life and his gratitude knew no bounds.
Subsequently he devoted the rest of his working life at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Basically starting his career over at the age of thirty five, he progressed up the ranks until he was promoted to the position of Director of the Office of Management in the Office of Public and Indian Housing. During his career at HUD he was instrumental in the development of the Performance Funding System which is the formula and structure through which the Public Housing Operating Subsidy is estimated for Federal budgetary purposes and which is also used to determine the individual operating subsidy eligibility of the 3,300 Public Housing Authorities receiving such assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended. The public Housing Authorities owned and managed over 1,300,000 units of low income public housing. He was one of the developers of the implementing regulations.
He was the individual at HUD most intimately involved in the development of the Legislative framework of the currently used energy conservation incentives enacted in Section 118 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 and the implementing regulations which for many years bore his name. In concert with the wonderful members of his staff, he oversaw the actions necessary to make performance contracting a mechanism for non federal financing of energy conservation improvements in public housing a reality. That basic structure which remains in force today has been responsible for energy conservation improvements in public housing estimated to exceed 900 million dollars (as of 2012).
During his summers on Cape Cod, which he loved, he played with a great deal of pleasure but not a Senior Tour level of skill at the game of golf. He was devoted to his Cocker Spaniels who were both named Sam.
There will be no wake. There was a Funeral Mass said at Saint Peter the Apostle Church in Provincetown on Wednesday April 30, 2014 at 12:00 noon and another will be said at Saint Rita’s Church 3815 Russell Rd. in Alexandria, Virginia at 6:00pm May 9, 2014. There will be a reception in Provincetown that will follow later in the summer when his ashes are spread. More information to follow.