Donald L. Corbett

Born and raised in the Red Town section of Belle Vernon, PA to Joseph Corbett and Dorothea Alrecka Frew, the second of a raucous trio of sons. He is pre-deceased by his parents and younger brother David.

A devoted and always proud member of the larger Frew clan that stretches from Southwestern PA to Maryland, Kentucky and the Carolinas, he had 15 aunts and uncles and innumerable cousins. His memory for dates was second to none and he would be able to tell you the exact date he graduated from Rostraver High School, the date he entered the navy where he served as electricians mate on the submarine "The USS Croaker," which you can tour if you should ever visit the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park. He was a strong swimmer and was regularly sent out to retrive the "practice torpedos." He said, more than once that if the movie "Jaws" had been out prior to his stint in the navy, someone else would have been the recovery swimmer.

He would also be able to tell you the exact date, and how many years ago he entered the State Police academy, the date he graduated and how many years he served the great state of Pennsylvania as a trooper. Initally stationed in Everett, PA, he patrolled the PA turnpike for a few years before moving to the barracks in Washington PA, bringing his young family to live, for the rest of his life, in Waynesburg.

Don and Carol Sue Snyder married in 1963. Their children, Laura, William (Bill) and Jon have all subsequently married and had children of their own. And he knows every single birthday - date and year - of all children, grandchildren, the wonderful daughters in law, Jennifer and Melodie, and son in law, Scott who is from NJ and was forgiven for being a NY Giants fan in order to marry into the family.

Don has answered to many names in his life from Donnie, to Tootie, to Trooper (and as a policeman, no doubt, plenty of names that were less "family friendly"). But his favorite, by far, was "Pappy" and "Pap-Pap." His grandchildren, Taylor and Ryan Lewis from NJ, Emily Corbett, Lindsey Corbett Phillips and her new husband Sheldon, Brooke and Brilee Corbett and Ryan Virgili have absolutely been the pride of his life.

He was an avid and accomplished bowler for many years, at one time, picking up a 7-10 split! He was on the TV show Bowling for Dollars once in the 1970s where things didn't go as well as he might have hoped. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Moose Lodge of Waynesburg for many years and enjoyed golf as well.

He had the best stories of his adventures, growing up with his brothers (a particular favorite involved his older brother jumping out the second story window to get away from him!) also from the navy and the State Police and he loved to share them. His stories about his bowling trips and snoring roommates could have all of us in stitches on a regular basis. In his later years, it was his great pleasure to be able to take his children and their families for a week at the beach, in either Avalon, NJ or more recently, Corolla, NC where, while it was difficult to seat all 11 to 13 of us in any particular restaurant at any given time, we always seemed to manage.

If you knew him at all, you knew Don Corbett never met a stranger in all his life.

The family would also like to express our tremendous gratitude to his hospice nurse, Amanda Wunder. Her care and compassion was a comfort to us during his long and difficult illness.

Don will be greatly missed by his large extended family, his wife and children, and his grandchildren. His memory will be a blessing to all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in his name, and his beloved Samson, who's ashes will be buried with him, be made to the Greene County Humane Society.