Born September 18, 1927, in Wheelersburg, Scioto County, Ohio, to his parents the late Leslie Thurston Coriell and Molly Elizabeth Plummer Coriell. John enlisted in the U.S. Army on November 14, 1952. He was in Co. A 151 Engineer Battalion. While in the Army he saw action in Korea, receiving the National Defense Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Service Ribbon and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. Towards the end of his military career he became a cook and baker. Attaining the rank of corporal, he served for 3 years and was released from the US Army on March 9, 1955 returning to Ohio . He stayed in Ohio for 5 years before moving to Apache Junction, AZ. He worked at several places as a cook and baker.
It was in Apache Junction where he met the love of his life Patricia (Pat) A. Haggberg. They moved together to Tallahassee, Florida, in January 1964. They were married on February 22, 1964 and had 39 blissful years together before Pat died suddenly on November 21, 2002. John has been out of sorts ever since, he misses her and talks to her everyday. He has tried to fill his time with fishing and hunting but nothing really has occupied his time. He can’t wait until he sees her again in the house of the Lord.
John had many places of employment. He worked with Henderson Tree service for a couple of years. Then he went to work for St. Marks Tarpon & Towing Co. for 5 years. His job was a cook on the tug boat. . Then he went to work for the Larc Organization. He was the driver for disabled children and immensely enjoyed working with the children on a daily basis. He would take the children on fishing trips and help them build wooden toys and such. When he left Lark he went to work for Publix where he was the Bakery manager. He worked for Publix for 25 years before his retirement in 1999.
Pat and John were instrumental in helping to establish the Tallahassee Moose Lodge Chapter 1075 and the Women of the Moose Chapter 1103. They were charter members. John joined the lodge in 1969 and had been a member for 45 years. During this time period he had attained the following degrees, Legion (1972), 25 Member Club (1978) and Fellowship (1989). He was the Governor in 1974 and Past Governor in 1975.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 39 years, Patricia (Pat) A. Evans Coriell; his father, Leslie Thurston Coriell; his mother, Molly Plummer Coriell; a sister, Galena Jane Reynolds; a son, Benjamin Thurston Coriell; his granddaughter; Deborah Renee Cardin; and his 2 grand niece's, Mary Francis (Fran) Dickens, and April Victoria (Vicky) Chandler.
He is survived by a devoted sister in law, Veronica A. Harrell (Johnny); a son, John Leslie Coriell Jr. (Eva), Tallahassee; his daughters, Marlene Chastain (Bert) (Eldorado, KS), Deborah Miller (Indianapolis IN), and Robin Lynn Adkins (Tallahassee, FL). He has 11 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, and 4 great great grandchildren.
For those of you not wishing to send flowers please make a donation in his name to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd. • Tallahassee, FL 32308 • 850.878.5310 or 800.772.5862. You can make online donations on their web site, the link is, http://www.bigbendhospice.org/
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