Col. John "Jack" Edward Corbett

Col. John “Jack” Edward Corbett passed away on March 4, 2026, at Hospice Home in High Point, surrounded by his family. Born on April 5, 1938, in Norwood, Massachusetts, to the late Dr. John E. and Catherine Callahan Corbett, Jack graduated from Norwood Senior High School in 1956 and from Norwich University in 1961. Commissioned through the ROTC program, he went on to serve a distinguished 27-year career in the United States Army.

He served in Germany during the Cold War and completed two tours in Vietnam. His stateside assignments included Fort Knox, Fort Carson, Fort Leavenworth, Washington, DC, and Aberdeen Proving Ground. A graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, he also earned a master’s degree from Central Michigan University. During his service, Jack met the love of his life, Donna Louise Hughson of Rochester, New York. They married on August 16, 1969. His military decorations included the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Bronze Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army Commendation Medal.

Following his military career, Jack worked for Advanced Technology, Inc., Ryder Truck Rental, and the Wild Bird Center in Burke, Virginia. In 2008, he and Donna moved to Carolina Trace, where he became deeply involved in community service as vice president of the Property Owners Association Board, a member of the Community Emergency Response Team, and a volunteer with Habitat for Birds, Meals on Wheels, and Highway to Healing. In 2025, the couple moved to River Landing.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Joseph. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Donna; his son, Michael, and Michael’s wife, Connie; his daughter, Mary, and her husband, Shane Walser; his grandson, Bretten Walser; and his sister, Catherine Coderre of Sturbridge, Massachusetts.