Deceased May 23, 2007
View alumni profile (log in required)
In Memory
Ned Corbett passed away on May 23, 2007. He lived in an adult care facility for the final four and a half months of his life. Upon entering there, Ned was able to walk with the help of a cane, went to the dining room and spent time in the activities room. He soon needed a walker and later a wheel chair. Ned suffered from Alzheimer’s and was totally deaf.
Ned went to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad after graduation. He was drafted and became a bomber pilot with a tour of duty in England. He married Virginia one week after returning to the USA in 1945. He returned to work for the Pennsylvania RR in Aberdeen, MD, but later moved to Harrisburg, PA. Ned joined the Pontiac division of General Motors in 1954 and transferred to the truck and coach division in 1959. He remained in that division until reaching retirement.
Ned and Virginia have two sons, Scott and Kemble. Both sons and their families reside in the east. Virginia still has the house in Emmaus, PA. They also built a house in Avalon, NJ, but sold it when the strain of maintaining two homes became too great.
Ned was a Deke. After the hurricane of 1938, Ned worked tirelessly to get the house back in condition. He helped our houseman more than any other member and seemed to enjoy the work. We were roommates our senior year and went on double and triple dates together. I consider him to be a wonderful friend.
I don’t believe that Ned came to our first Reunion, but he did attend several others including our 20th and 50th. At the 20th, Ned came with his family, and I brought my son, oldest daughter and a niece. All the children hit it off, and we had a super time.
We got together many times over the years. We met in Chicago, Emmaus, PA, Baltimore and Washington, DC. One of his sons worked in Chicago for awhile, and we got together when they came to visit.
Ned was a great friend. I will miss him.
—Bob Henkel ’40