Corey Ann Latham

Corey Ann Latham, 64, passed away on April 16, 2019 in Orleans, MA. She is preceded in death by her parents, Walter F. Latham and Helen M. Latham (maiden name Walsh). She is survived by her son, Brendan Shea, her brother, Walter T. Latham, sister in law, Merrin Johnson, nephew, Sean Johnson Latham, niece, Sara Haines of Santa Fe, NM and numerous other relatives.

Corey was born in Manhattan on February 28, 1955. She was initially raised in Riverdale, NY until her parents moved to the green acres of Paramus, NJ in 1957. She attended Our Lady of the Visitation grammar school in Paramus. She graduated from Paramus Catholic High School in 1972. She attended Stonehill College for two years before transferring to the University of New Mexico. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Natural Sciences at UMASS-Amherst in 1980. Her major was Geography.

Beginning in childhood, Corey had a distinctively strong connection to the outdoors. Her father would take her to Pine Lake, a glacial kettle pond, located near Paramus. She played endlessly at Joy’s Farm, the last remaining farm in Bergen County. She was introduced to horseback riding at Allendale and was quite comfortable in the saddle. The outdoor spark was kindled, eventually flowering fully in what became her spiritual homeland, the Outer Cape.

She long credited her fifth grade, OLV grammar school nun, Sister Rose, with sparking her interest in geography with the then- novel concept of classroom movies featuring exotic landscapes and cultures. The connection between place and culture made its mark. Her affection for Cape Cod, generally, and the Nauset region, in particular, began via numerous family trips in the 1960s and early 1970s often in conjunction with the families of her mother’s two sisters Joan McEvoy (now Wehrell) and Marie Kavanugh. Jeep rides to Nauset Point were among the highlights she cherished. Throughout high school, college and post- college she would take frequent trips to the outer Cape. Eventually, she would live in Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Provincetown and Nantucket. She was skilled painter and began to capture the beauty of the Cape landscapes with numerous oil paintings, many of which she generously gave to friends and family. Her paintings depicted scenes ranging, as she did, from serene to tempestuous; from a tranquil Wellfleet marsh to a wild, winter Nantucket storm surf.

Corey was one of the first female Park Rangers at the Cape Cod National Seashore. Her classic job was as a Ranger in charge of “pond patrol”; getting paid to ride in a jeep patrolling the kettle ponds of Wellfleet. After college graduation, she began working for the United States Defense Department’s Government Mapping Agency in Rhode Island as a cartographer, which combined her drafting skills with her love of landscapes. There she met and married Paul Shea. They traveled to special places, including New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, Scandanavia, the British Isles and Europe. They had a son, Brendan Shea, a beautiful soul. Born autistic, his considerable challenges became her life’s work. She spent countless hours researching, attending conferences and networking in the autistic community. She created “Team Brendan”, employing many people to enrich his dignity and quality of life.

Corey was a passionate soul. A fiery red head, she was a force to be reckoned with. Her opinions on a wide range of subjects, especially woman’s rights, environmental issues and politics (proudly left) were heartfelt and eloquently expressed. She loved special places, both urban and rural, but clearly preferred the latter. She would welcome you into her world, enthusiastically, with her catchphrase “here’s the play” and proceed to take you on a Corey tour of her favorite sweet spots on the Cape, usually via a treasured Jeep ride. She loved music and was the last remaining holdout, still playing albums on a turntable well into her 50s. She loved Bonnie Raitt, a fellow, fiery, red head, whose personality and politics resembled her own and admired Joni Mitchell for her strong, feminine independence and unconventional style. She was a graceful dancer and fluid swimmer, a Nauset mermaid. She had a wide circle of friends and maintained deep friendships dating back to grammar school. She loved to host gatherings and mix her wide variety of friends, enjoying the alchemy unique to her world. She loved to tell stories and laugh heartily before the punchline. She had a stock of witty comebacks for all occasions. She will be missed by many.

A memorial celebration of life, along the lines of an Irish wake, will be held at the Orleans Waterfront Inn, in Orleans, MA on Sunday May 26 from 2 to 5pm. All are welcome to celebrate her life with stories, pictures, music, food and libations. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Corey's honor to The Brendan Patrick Shea Supplemental Needs Trust, c/o Donna Brown, 525 Squire Hill Rd., Cheshire CT 06410. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com.