Wednesday, April 18, 2018
We would like to extend our family’s deepest gratitude to everyone for coming here to remember our father, Ned Corbett. He was truly an extraordinary man.
As sad as we are in this moment of grief, we can take comfort in celebrating a life well lived. And our father lived a life worthy of celebration and recognition. He touched many people’s lives throughout his lifetime as a brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend and mentor to many.
Anyone who knew our father knows he was a man that did not like attention. He was modest, humble and actually rather shy. He never wanted to have a fuss made over him. In January when he learned we were planning a 90th birthday party for him, his first reaction was to say “please don’t do anything to embarrass me.” He was uncomfortable with being the center of attention but after the party he was very pleased with our celebration - and said how beautiful it was - as nothing so special was ever done for him before.
One of our dad’s favorite movies is an old Gary Cooper film from the 1940’s called “Good Sam”. It is a light comedy about a man whose altruistic instinct to help others outweighed his own needs - often to his own detriment. Our father was like the character Gary Cooper portrayed. He was as handsome and dapper as Gary Cooper and as selfless as Good Sam. He literally would give a person his last dollar and would go hungry himself so another could be fed. Up to the end of his life, as he was laying in the hospice bed in our living room, he was still concerned about the comfort of others over his own. He would offer each Hospice nurse and aide that came to visit food and drink, ask if he could get them anything and always made sure to thank them for the beautiful job they were doing in caring for him. One of the last things he said to our mother was that he is going to fight this disease and get better so he can get back to his daily routine of taking care of her.
Several of the hospice workers would visit and sit at our father’s bedside to offer comfort and talk about his life. Even at the end, he expressed more concern for the well being and needs of his family over his own. Another recurring sentiment he expressed was a confession of a lifelong desire to learn how to do one thing and do it well. He told the nurses, the chaplain and social worker how he was still in search of that one thing he could do well. We would remind him that he didn’t just do one thing well, he did everything exceptionally well.
He was a man with a list of life accomplishments that are certainly worthy of praise and recognition. After high school, he served 4 years in the Navy as Quartermaster on the USS Elokomin - a fleet oiler. He spent much of his time in Norfolk VA with deployments to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. During his time in the Navy he met his future wife, Anna Mayer in 1948. Theirs was a 70 year relationship built on trust, love and devotion - and as the family likes to joke - it all started with a nickel - which is another story for later in this service. After the Navy, he attended Penn State to study engineering. He also used the money from his GI deferment to buy a plot a land, the same empty field where a few years earlier, on Dec 7, 1941 he was playing football with some neighborhood boys when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. And today, on that same land, a street is named in his honor. Later in 1951 he began the construction of his new home. When he started the house he thought he would finish it in 3 months - much to his dismay, over 2 years later he was still not done. He literally built the house on Mill Road with his own hands, brick by brick with lots of blood, sweat and maybe a few tears along the way. While building the house, he was also working full time with his father in the family electrical business, was a volunteer fireman with Ogden Fire Company and on April 24, 1954 he and our mother married. This year would be their 64th wedding anniversary.
Somehow as busy as he was, he also managed to squeeze in time to pursue his lifelong passion of flying and took lessons to obtain his private pilot license. Later he became the proud owner of a Cessna 182. Every member of the family and many friends have vivid memories of the time spent flying with our dad. Nothing made him happier than taking a person for a ride in the airplane and introducing others to the joys of flight.
On top of all these accomplishments he was also active in the community, was a member of the Concord Masonic Lodge, served on the Upper Chichester Planning commission and was even township commissioner for a time.
As mentioned earlier, our father was a man who not only did one thing well he did multiple things exceptionally well leaving behind a lifetime of accomplishments. He was a man of few words, some stern looks and much action. He was a vast storehouse of knowledge with many great stories of what is what like growing up in Ogden during the depression and the WWII years. He often spoke fondly of his time in the Navy recounting the adventures and exploits of a young sailor drunk on the enthusiasm of youthful exuberance. He was an avid sports enthusiast and was a lifelong fan of the Eagles and Phillies.
Sadly, the last few weeks of his life were very unpleasant because he was in tremendous pain. It was devastating for us to witness a man that was strong, stubborn, proud and dignified subjected to such suffering. As much as we miss him, we are thankful that his time to suffer through this illness was short. Oddly enough his last day was spent peacefully resting. He didn’t need any pain medication all day and he said he was comfortable. We are also very thankful that he was able to pass away in his home and are grateful family was with him when he died with the knowledge he was loved and cared for.
What is a life worth living if it is not spent helping others? Our father lived by that motto to the very end and when he was no longer able to help others and instead needed to be on the receiving end of assistance, we believe he no longer felt life was worth living and left our world.
Every person’s death leaves a hole in the hearts of those they touched and our father’s departure leaves a hole that will forever be empty. We are proud and honored to have had him as a father and to have been a part of his life for so long. He touched many lives with his selfless generosity and eagerness to lend a hand to anyone in need. Our earthly world here lost a wonderful man but heaven just gained an angel.
We Love and miss you Dad and will remember you forever.
