Karl 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.

A celebration of Joanna’s life will be 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at the First Congregational Church (Gatton Hall), 4515 S.W. West Hills Road in Corvallis.  A vegetarian potluck will follow at 6 p.m. (vegan dishes are especially welcome, as Joanna was a vegan). A special memorial contra dance will begin at 7:30 p.m. If at all possible, please ride your bicycle. If not, please carpool.

Joanna Karl was born in Cleveland , Ohio , on Aug. 18, 1951. Joanna died on Friday, Feb. 29, when she fell while working on her house.

She received her first bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and completed a second bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UC Santa Barbara.

In 1986, Joanna moved to Portland to work at Metro (the Portland area’s regional government). She completed a master’s degree in environmental engineering and was licensed as a professional engineer in 1993. While at Metro, she was especially excited about the opportunity to work on projects involving water conservation, rainwater harvesting and rooftop gardens. She worked at Metro until the time of her death.

Joanna was one of the most creative people we have ever known. An accomplished woodworker, she built harps, banjos, and hammered dulcimers, among much else. She also made clothing, outdoor gear and beautiful quilts, most of which she gave away as gifts to friends and family. She enjoyed photography, collage, and various other graphic arts, most of which, again, she gave away. Gifts were wrapped in beautiful used fabric, rather than new paper. She was especially gifted in repurposing paper, cloth, and other materials into new and useful works of art.

Joanna loved outdoor activities such as hiking and cross-country skiing and frequently took backpacking trips with her friends. She was also an energetic and playful contra dancer, laughing and smiling as she skipped and swung and spun down the line.

In an autobiographical sketch written in 1993, Joanna wrote, “I try to live simply, respect life, and to impact the natural environment as little as possible. I attempt to be consistent between my personal belief system and my lifestyle choices, [including] vegetarianism, bicycle commuting, and war tax resistance … I am also an activist … (hopefully) teaching by example … It feels good when someone seeks me out for information or to excitedly report on their own lifestyle changes.”

To a rare degree, Joanna truly did walk her talk. And she did it with a big smile!

In 2001, Joanna and her friend, Peace (John) Helm, purchased a dilapidated house on Crystal Lake Drive in south Corvallis . Their plan for rebuilding the house included straw-bale insulation, earthen plaster, sustainably harvested lumber, recycled metal roofing, and an adobe floor with radiant heating. Friends and neighbors joined in the project at a number of work parties.

Joanna is remembered as an exceptionally warm, generous and loving friend to many. Joanna’s loving heart, wide smile, and outspoken concern for the Earth will be greatly missed.

A celebration of Joanna’s life will be 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at the First Congregational Church (Gatton Hall), 4515 S.W. West Hills Road . A vegetarian potluck will follow at 6 p.m. (vegan dishes are especially welcome, as Joanna was a vegan).A special memorial contra dance will begin at 7:30 p.m. If at all possible, please ride your bicycle. If not, please carpool.

Dear friends of Joanna,

I continue to be amazed by how many lives Joanna touched and how much she meant to so many people.

One of you wrote something about Joanna and asked me to print it out and post it up at her memorial service. This sounded like a good idea, so if you want to write something about Joanna or if you have a favorite picture of her you’d like to share, please email them to me and I will put them up at the memorial on Sunday.

Peace Helm (peacehelm@hotmail.com)

I really miss you all and our fun summer camp, and can’t wait until 2009. Yes, Ken, I would be thrilled to help organize the next camp, and I thank you, Jane, and the many other volunteers for all your hard work.

I have photos to share but am not sure of the best way to do so. I opened an account at Photobucket but haven’t uploaded photos yet. Does anyone have experience with photo share sites? I’m willing to set up an account for others to use but would like to make it easy and free for everyone. I have about 300 MB of various photos.

Dave (aka: Bubba-Bob Jr. the generic redneck and Eastern Kentucky possum skinning champ 1998-99)

We usually meet at 7:00 at (or near) New Morning Bakery on 2nd Street in downtown Corvallis to carpool to the Eugene dance. (If you see someone standing around, don’t be shy, ask if they’re going to the Eugene dance.)

If there’s a pre-dance potluck, we’d need to leave at about 5:00. So, if you want to share a ride to the potluck, post your info here. (Thus, it’s possible to have two carpools: one to the potluck at 5:00, and another to the dance at 7:00.)

DISCLAIMER: Neither the blog host, nor the blog moderator, nor the dance sponsors can be responsible for the character or habits of the person(s) you agree to share a ride with. It is the responsibility of drivers and riders to discuss driving skills, violation record, insurance, gas reimbursement, and most importantly: driving while under the influence of any substances whatever including alcohol, controlled substances, and medications. BE SAFE! Ask the tough questions and use your best judgment.

Driving to the Portland dance? Need a ride to the Portland dance? Click on “Comments” below and post your info. 

DISCLAIMER: Neither the blog host, nor the blog moderator, nor the dance sponsors can be responsible for the character or habits of the person(s) you agree to share a ride with. It is the responsibility of drivers and riders to discuss driving skills, violation record, insurance, gas reimbursement, and most importantly: driving while under the influence of any substances whatever including alcohol, controlled substances, and medications. BE SAFE! Ask the tough questions and use your best judgment.

Driving to the Newport dance? Need a ride to the Newport dance? Click on “Comments” below and post your info. 

DISCLAIMER: Neither the blog host, nor the blog moderator, nor the dance sponsors can be responsible for the character or habits of the person(s) you agree to share a ride with. It is the responsibility of drivers and riders to discuss driving skills, violation record, insurance, gas reimbursement, and most importantly: driving while under the influence of any substances whatever including alcohol, controlled substances, and medications. BE SAFE! Ask the tough questions and use your best judgment.

Driving to the Corvallis dance? Need a ride to the Corvallis dance? Click on “Comments” below and post your info. 

DISCLAIMER: Neither the blog host, nor the blog moderator, nor the dance sponsors can be responsible for the character or habits of the person(s) you agree to share a ride with. It is the responsibility of drivers and riders to discuss driving skills, violation record, insurance, gas reimbursement, and most importantly: driving while under the influence of any substances whatever including alcohol, controlled substances, and medications. BE SAFE! Ask the tough questions and use your best judgment.

Hang in there! It can take some time and practice to be comfortable with all the moves, but we’ve all been there and are better for the experience. This is the place to post comments or questions about the dance, tecniques, or whatever else you might like to know. (And be sure to check back for responses.)

At long last we have a blog on which to post news about dances, pre-dance potlucks, carpools, or other dance related issues, and to allow dancers to ask questions or share comments with everyone in the Contra dance community.