William Joseph Corbett III

William Joseph Corbett III passed away on March 23, 2024 at the age of 93. He was born on December 20, 1930 in Chicago, IL to the late William Joseph Jr. and Mary (Weimer) Corbett.

Bill is survived by his wife, Diane; his children, Mary Corbett, Catherine (Daniel) Freund, Susan (John) Brennan, and William IV (Evonne) Corbett; grandchildren, Patrick and Julia Laing, Lillian, Emma, and Catherine Freund, Margaret, Mary, Catherine and Alice Brennan, and Marielle Corbett; his siblings, Catherine Brady, Susan ( Timothy) Doyle, and Thomas (Marylea) Corbett.

Preceding Bill in death were his brother, John; and sister, Mary.

Growing up in Glencoe, Illinois as the eldest of six, Bill was a role model for his family. Family, academics, and country were most important. After graduation from Loyola Academy´48, he attended the University of Notre Dame, graduated, and was commissioned in the USN in 1952. This is when his career began!

The thrill of flying was fostered in the Navy and stayed with him until his retirement. He flew jets off carriers, retiring as a Commander after 22 years of service and being stationed on both coasts. The sedentary life was halted when, while working for the St. Joe Bank, Bill was asked to fly for the bank. This led to flying the administration and athletic departments for the University of Notre Dame. As the pilot for the University, he considered his interaction with presidents and coaches as a benefit for flying them safely to their destinations.

His enthusiasm for transportation wasn’t limited to planes. A love for model railroads was handed down from his father. He built a replica of the Raton Pass over the four car garage that he had constructed at his home in South Bend. There was never a project too small or large that couldn’t be tackled, be it restoration or new construction. Bill also made sure that there was time for Notre Dame football (home and away), basketball, and soccer games.

Bill and Diane were married December 8, 1956, and this year they would have celebrated 68 years of marriage. Bill and Diane built their forever home on Redfield St. in Niles, MI in 2001. This home would then become the meeting place for the family, where all of the kids and grandkids would join together to celebrate countless 4th of July’s by the pool, Christmases spent huddled together for warmth in the living room (Bill did not believe on spending too much on heat in the winters :) ), and all life’s precious moments in between. Whether it was new methods of heating the pool, climbing ladders to fix things on the house, or meticulously taking care of his lawn and gardens, Bill enjoyed staying busy and keeping the family entertained.

Bill volunteered in the pharmacy of St. Joseph Regional Hospital for 20 years.
He will be missed by all those who knew and loved him.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Saturday, April 6,2024 at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 52553 North Fir Road, Granger, IN. at 11:00 a.m. EST.  Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. EST. Internment is at a later date.

Services will be live streamed at http://stpius.net and http://youtube.com/@stpiusgranger

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

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