TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Rear Admiral John Edward Dombroski, U.S. Navy (Ret.) passed away Sunday, July 1, 2018 in Tallahassee. He was 72 years old.
The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 5 at St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral in Tallahassee. Military honors will be rendered at the church following the service. A reception for family and friends will be held immediately following the service in the Cathedral’s Parish Hall.
Gifts in memory of Admiral Dombroski may be made to The Rotary Foundation (my.rotary.org); or to St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral Building Fund, 4784 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, FL 32309.
A native of Beacon Falls, Conn., he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College in June 1967, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. He attended Cornell Law School from 1967 to 1969, prior to entering Officer Candidate School where he was commissioned as an Ensign in 1969. His tours of duty as an unrestricted line officer included assignment to USS Moale as the combat information center officer, where he received his surface warfare officer qualification, and to USS Luiseno as executive officer.
In January 1972, Admiral Dombroski transferred to the Judge Advocate General’s Corp and returned to Cornell Law School, graduating in 1973 with a Juris Doctorate degree. After admission to the Connecticut Bar, he was assigned to the Ninth Naval District Law Center, Great Lakes, Ill., serving as senior defense counsel, then senior trial counsel. From 1976 to 1978, he served as a military judge at the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary Branch Office, Naval Air Station, Jacksonville.
From 1978 to 1979, he attended George Washington University, obtaining his Master of Laws degree in law, psychiatry, and criminology with highest honors. He next served as base judge advocate for Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, Conn. and later was assigned as the staff judge advocate to Commander Submarine Group TWO. Admiral Dombroski next reported to the Naval Legal Service Office, Philadelphia, Pa., as executive officer. In 1986, he assumed command of Naval Legal Service Office, Mayport, serving there until 1989 when he reported to the Office of the Judge Advocate General as division director and deputy assistant judge advocate general for management and plans. In 1992, he was named the assistant judge advocate general for operations and management, and vice commander, Naval Legal Service Command. In 1995, Admiral Dombroski was reassigned as an associate judge on the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. In March 1996, the judge advocate general appointed him to be the chief judge of the court. He retired from active service in January 1998.
Admiral Dombroski’s personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (with two gold stars), Navy Commendation Medal (with gold star), and the Navy Achievement Medal.
Survivors include his wife, Julie Ann Dombroski of Tallahassee; his daughter, Christine Jecko (Sean) of Durham, N.C.; his son, Matthew Dombroski (Tori) of Pleasanton, Calif.; his sister, Andrea Redden of Naugatuck, Conn.; and three grandchildren, Ann Elizabeth Jecko, Jonathan Jecko and Savannah Sadie Dombroski.
Rocky Bevis of Bevis Funeral Home in Tallahassee, www.bevisfh.com, is assisting the Dombroski family with their arrangements.
