I'm a little older than you, about the same size, but I've been cycling seriously or semi-seriously for 40 years. I'm pretty much just a geezer out for a ride now, but I've raced a little and done about every kind of riding there is, from technical mountain biking to multi-day road tours.
With that experience, I'd sort of recommend against a "comfort bike" unless you're sure that's what you want and need. I don't know any of the bikes you mentioned, but in general, something like a hybrid or touring bike will provide about the same level of comfort and stability (with fat tires, 35mm or larger) but (with a tire swap) let you branch out if your interest level changes. I've done gravel fire roads and paved centuries on my Atlantis, for instance, just by changing the tires. A few things to look for:
Avoid the butt-up, head-down posture that's supposedly more efficient. It actually is better aerodynamically, but it's hell for us old guys to hold for long and it doesn't make much difference at 12mph. My handlebars are all level with my saddle or slightly higher, and I'm never lowering them.
Get something with room for big tires, at least 700x35 or 26x1.5. Wider would be better. You can always use skinny tires on a bike with room for fat ones, but the reverse isn't true.
Don't be fooled by a puffy, super-soft saddle. It feels great in the shop but will hurt in 20 minutes. Saddle selection is an individual thing, so recommendations aren't particularly valuable, but I've never met a gel saddle I could tolerate.
If you decide on a road bike, look for low gears. The more-or-less standard 53/39 crankset with 12/26 or so cassette will kill you. I recommend a triple crank, and you'll soon find that even the 30-tooth granny is optimistic.
Consider a midrange mountain bike with appropriate tires. You may like the riding position, and tire swaps to suit different conditions are easy and cheap.