Joanne Corbaley

85, of Benicia, California, passed away on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at her home after a long illness. Joanne was born in Bemidji, Minnesota to Herman and Phyllis Garrigues on March 9, 1935. She and her family moved to California in 1946, living briefly in San Francisco’s Mission District before settling in Benicia four years later. Joanne attended Benicia schools and married Leonard Corbaley on November 9, 1956. Leonard was in the Navy and he and Joanne and their children lived in several places during his naval career, including Vallejo, California; Great Lakes, Illinois; San Diego, California; and Pensacola, Florida. Upon Leonard’s retirement from the Navy in 1972, they returned to Benicia, California, where they made their home for the remainder of her life.

Within a few years of their return to Benicia, Joanne launched her career in real estate sales. She was very successful and, together with her husband, ultimately opened a real estate brokerage business, Helmsman Realtors, in the late 1970s. During the course of her real estate career, Joanne also participated in a number of civic and professional organizations. These included an appointment to the Benicia Planning Commission; founding and serving as president of the Benicia Toastmistress Club; and serving as president of the Solano Board of Realtors in 1984. Always an avid reader, Joanne also volunteered for the Benicia Library.

Joanne retired from her real estate business in 1997. She then turned fulltime to a vocation she took up in 1985: painting, and particularly painting with watercolors and later oils. Joanne loved painting and sharing her love of beauty. She always said, "My art is a celebration of place, my home." She loved Benicia and many days she could be found painting en plein air around town.

Joanne was extremely active in local and regional art organizations. She was a longtime member of Arts Benicia, the Vallejo Artists' Guild, the East Bay Artists Guild, and Benicia Plein Air Painters (aka DaGroup). She was a founding member of East Bay Plein Air Painters and served on the board of the California Watercolor Association for many years. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Benicia Plein Air Gallery on First Street.

Joanne is survived by her husband of 63 years, Leonard Corbaley; daughters Carey Corbaley, Diane Smith, and Susan Corbaley; grandchildren Michael Wilk and Charlotte Wilk; sons-in-law Kyle Smith and George Noel; brother Richard Garrigues; sister-in-law Betty Garrigues; and nephew Jeffrey Garrigues. She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Phyllis Garrigues; brothers Rod Garrigues, Charles Garrigues, and Patrick Garrigues; and son-in-law Adrian Wilk.

A memorial service will be held on June 26 at her residence. In view of social distancing requirements, friends and colleagues may alternatively wish to send notes or letters containing their own recollections of Joanne to her residence. These recollections would be of great comfort to the family and can be mailed to 118 Gill Way, Benicia. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or Arts Benicia (www.artsbenicia.org).