John Corbett

John Jensen Corbett, M.D. died January 13, 2012, at his home in Casper, Wyoming. He was 83 years old. Dr. Corbett was born June 20, 1928, to John K. "Jack" Corbett and Clarissa (Jensen) Corbett in Laramie, Wyoming. He was the older brother of two sisters, Regina and Mary Lou. He graduated from Powell High School in 1945. After high school he enlisted in the Army and served in Korea. Dr. Corbett attended the University of Wyoming, graduating in 1950 and attending medical school at the University of Colorado. He completed surgical residencies at the University of Michigan and at McLaren General Hospital in Flint, Michigan. While in Denver, he met his lifelong love, Eleanor L. Heidenwith, a nurse. They were married on June 8, 1952, and have three children, Kathleen, John, and Kendall. In 1960 Dr. Corbett opened a general surgical practice in Casper. He treated thousands of patients, often accepting goods and services in payment for his skills. He would go on to demonstrate his deep interest in the wellbeing of Casper's citizens in many ways, including establishing a free medical clinic at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. As a member of St. Mark's, he served as a lay reader and on the vestry as Senior Warden. He was instrumental in establishing the local chapter of the Order of St. Luke, and was an active member of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. Dr. Corbett's commitment to public and medical education in Wyoming was unwavering. He was elected to the Natrona County School Board in 1966, serving until 1979, many of those years as board chair. In 1974, as chair of the State Health Care Coordinating Council, he was instrumental in the launch of the Family Practice Residency Centers in Casper and Cheyenne. In 1979 he was appointed Acting Dean of the College of Human Medicine at the University of Wyoming. Following his tenure as Dean, he served as a professor of anatomy and physiology, retiring as a professor emeritus in 1994. In 1990, Dr. Corbett founded American Medical Brokers and Investments, a business designed to help rural doctors lower their medical practice overhead costs. The business became AMBI Mail and Marketing, which continues to provide mailing and shipping services to businesses in central Wyoming. Following his retirement from the University of Wyoming in 1994, Dr. Corbett served as Dean of the Ross University Medical School in Portsmouth, Dominica, leading the school during a period of unprecedented growth in its infrastructure and accreditation. Returning with Ellie to Casper in 1998, he became active in the Lions Club of Casper, serving as president and also as director of the Allen H. Stewart Lions Camp for the Visually Impaired. Dr. Corbett was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Regina Armstrong. He is survived by his wife Eleanor and his children: Kathleen Corbett and partner Bonnie Clark; John C. Corbett, his wife Virginia and their children Chelsie, Connyre, and John A.; Kendall Corbett and his wife Janet, sister Mary Lou Reynolds, and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. The family requests memorial donations be made to the Lions Club of Casper, Alan H. Stewart Blind Camp or St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Casper. Memorial services will be held at 10:00 AM, Saturday, January 21, 2012 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Cremation has been held under the direction of Bustard's Funeral Home. Condolences for the family may be left at bustardsfuneralhome.com.

Service

Saturday, January 21, 2012 10:00am

St. Mark's Episcopal Church

7th and Wolcott

Casper, Wyoming 82601