Jeannine Corbett Squires

(1944-2026)

Jeannine Elizabeth Corbett Squires, 82, of Wilmington, N.C., died peacefully at home on October 27, 2026.

Born in Wilmington in 1944, Jeannine was the second child and oldest daughter of Waddell and Elizabeth Corbett. After graduating from New Hanover High School in 1962, she attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia, earning a B.A. in sociology in 1966. She then moved to Atlanta to pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching at Emory University, where she met her future husband, Raymond “Jay” Squires. They married in 1966, and she briefly taught sixth grade in Atlanta.

Jay’s medical training took the couple first to Salt Lake City, Utah, where their first daughter, Jeannette, was born, and then to Durham, N.C., where he completed a residency in pathology and their second daughter, Margaret, was born. In 1973 the young family moved to Wiesbaden, West Germany, where Jay served at the U.S. military hospital. Jeannine loved sightseeing and skiing in Europe, though she deeply missed her family in Wilmington.

After Jay’s military service, the family settled in Asheville, N.C., where Jeannine raised her daughters and gave generously of her time to Trinity Episcopal Church. She was proud to have completed Education for Ministry, a four-year program of theological study for laypeople. Her favorite holiday tradition was making Christmas wreaths and long ropes of evergreen garland from freshly cut branches. With a team of fellow women volunteers, she hung them throughout Trinity, and she hung them along the banister at home as well.

Those years in Asheville were full of the things she loved. She had a natural eye for fashion and design and was known for the small scarf she tied at her neck to add flair to any outfit. She enjoyed photography, especially taking pictures of her family, as well as reading books on personal growth and psychology, attending local theatre, dining out, and the occasional night of dancing.

Though she treasured her many friends in Asheville, Jeannine was excited to return in 2001 to Wilmington, where she and Jay built their retirement home by Airlie. Back near her sisters, she cherished time with them and their families at Wrightsville Beach. In her later years, she delighted in visits from her grandchildren and a quiet life with Jay.

She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Dr. Raymond “Jay” Squires; her daughters, Jeannette Elizabeth Okur and her husband, Adam Mustafa Hakan Okur, and Margaret Corbett Squires and her husband, Nathan “Ned” Edward Dowling; her grandchildren, Elizabeth Beyzanur Okur, Meryem Elif Okur, and Ari Squires Dowling; her brother, Waddell Albert Corbett Jr.; and her sisters, Mary Alice Corbett Howard, Selah Dabney Corbett Hebbard, and Rita Victoria Corbett Howle. She was preceded in death by her parents and many other beloved relatives.

A private family memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2026.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Communities in Schools Cape Fear https://www.ciscapefear.org/ or Nourish NC https://nourishnc.org/