God Speed to Karl and Contra Community Condolences to Ken and Jean
June 12, 2008Karl Corbin of Philomath died at his residence Tuesday, June 10. He was 55 years old. A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Friday, June 13, at the College United Methodist Church in Philomath.
Born Jan. 11, 1953, the son of Gilbert and Martha Jane Abbott Corbin, Karl grew up in Cheswick, Pa. He attended local schools in Cheswick, graduated from Springdale High School in 1970, and attended Penn State University.
In 1988 Karl moved to Philomath and soon after began a 19-year career at Summit Information Systems as a lead software engineer. He was a pioneer and crucial contributor to Summit’s Spectrum product, a technical genius and dependable friend. He played catcher on the Fiserv Hackers men’s softball team, and could be counted on to show up and support the other company teams whenever possible.
Karl was a dedicated volunteer for the Philomath Volunteer Fire Department, completing his academy training and joining as an active member in 1990. He was Firefighter of the Year in 1991, 1993, 1999 and 2001 and EMS Responder of the Year in 1997. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2000 and to Captain in 2003, the same year he fought the B&B Complex Fire as a member of the Benton County Task Force activated by Oregon’s Emergency Conflagration Act.
An avid fan of Philomath High School sports, especially girls soccer, Karl would travel across the state to away games and state-championship playoffs, all in support of the team. He loved soccer, rugby, hockey and football.
Another lifelong interest was contra dancing. He was often a volunteer, and his collection of Northwest Folklife Festival buttons dates back to 1987.
Karl was always willing to help a friend. He was generous, had a quick wit and a wry sense of humor. A brilliant man, he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Survivors include Karl’s parents, Gil and Jane of Philomath; his brother and sister-in-Law, Kenneth Corbin and Jean Goul of Wren; his sister, Ali Corbin of Portland; and his nieces, Samantha Corbin of Springfield and Crystal Corbin of Albany.
Memorial contributions can be made in lieu of flowers to the Philomath Volunteer Fire Department, the Philomath High School girls soccer team or the Benton Hospice Service.
