Joseph Bea Corbett

Born in Black Rock, Arkansas, in 1922, he graduated from high school in 1939 and went to work to help the war effort immediately after high school. In 1942, he met and married Elizabeth Harrison, from Blytheville, Arkansas, and in 1943 they gathered all their belongings and moved across country to Santa Paula, where the twins Ben and Benita were born.

After a brief sojourn to Missouri in 1950, Joe and Elizabeth returned to California. In 1957, Joe was ordained a Deacon of the Baptist Church, and began his journey in the Ministry.

Joe and Elizabeth had two more daughters, Rebecca, born in 1951, and Mary, born in 1958 Beginning in 1959, Joe began to work for the Safeway stores as a retail clerk, where he worked until his retirement in 1982. On March 6, 1977 he was licensed and ordained as a Minister, where he served God passionately and with great care, for the people he was called to serve until his semi-retirement in 2009. Joe and Elizabeth believed deeply in service, doing missionary work in the Philippines, pastoring churches throughout Ventura County, and opening their home to foster care for children with special needs.

Pastor Joe was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth Harrison Corbett in 2007, and his daughter, Benita Jo Epley, in 1997. He is survived by his second wife, Rachel Harris Corbett, whom he married in 2008; his children, Ben Corbett, of Huntington Beach, Rebecca Wyatt, of Ventura, and Mary Layman, of Santa Barbara. He also was patriarch to 15 grandchildren and over 25 great-grandchildren. He will be remembered by the countless number of people he ministered to during his years of service as a pastor in Ventura and Ojai.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 9, 2015, from 4:00pm until 8:00pm, at the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Road, Ventura. Funeral services will take place on Thursday, September 10, 2015, 10:00am, also at Ted Mayr Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, Ventura.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent to TedMayrFuneralHome.com