Dean Torrence Corbin

Dean Torrence Corbin, 87, formerly of Nevada, Mo., passed away Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015, in Community Springs Health Care Facility, in El Dorado Springs. He was born May 18, 1927, in his maternal grandparent's ranch house in Pine, Colo., the oldest of six children born to Torrence White Corbin and Madalyn Hallie (Brown) Corbin.

He went to grade school in the Pleasant Park, Colo., one-room school house through the eighth grade and graduated valedictorian in 1941. He attended high school in Arvada, Colo., graduating as valedictorian of the Arvada High School Class of 1945.

He joined the U.S. Navy on May 18, 1945, and received a "family hardship" discharge on Nov. 11, 1945. During his short service, he reached the rank of Platoon Commander and served in San Diego, Calif. Following his discharge, he returned to Colorado to help support his family.

Dean married Leola "Lee" May Agee in Denver, Colo., on June 21, 1949. To their union, three children were born: Randall Torrence, Rhonda LeAnn, and Renn William. After 30 years of marriage, Dean and Lee divorced.

Dean later married Ruth Ann (Riffle) Armintrout on Oct. 26, 1979, in Harrisonville, Mo.

After Dean and Lee moved to Missouri in 1951, they settled in the rural Schell City area where he was ordained to the ministry of the Church of Christ in January 1951, and he was ordained as an apostle of the Church of Christ (restored 1830) on July 9, 1951.

He was a labor foreman in Raytown, Mo., laying the sewer lines in Raytown in 1959 and 1960. When that work completed, he moved his family to the Grand Junction and Fruita, Colo., areas and later moved back to Schell City, Mo.

Dean began working for the Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company as an insurance salesman on Jan. 2, 1962, a position he held for 47 years until his retirement in November 2009. He enjoyed selling insurance and was a top salesman, earning many awards and vacations throughout his long career.

He took an active park in his community, helping with the local 4-H Club, PTA, and the Schell City School Board.

Dean joined the Schell City Missouri Lions Club in the early 1970s and quickly traveled up the ranks, eventually holding every office in the local club. He continued to climb the ladder through the district and, at the Lions International Convention in Hawaii, he became the Missouri District 26E Lions Governor in 1976. He loved the Lions Club and served his communities for many years. He attended many international conventions and enjoyed meeting people from all over the world.

Dean loved to travel and could boast that he had visited every state in the union. He enjoyed many cruises, including voyages to the Panama Canal, Mexico, the Grand Caymans, Jamaica, and two cruises to Alaska.

He loved to hunt, especially elk and mule deer in his beloved Colorado and he could claim several trophies. He also enjoyed hunting in Missouri and got his share of white tail deer and mallard ducks. He was a good fisherman and an all-around outdoorsman.

Dean loved the American Indian culture and for several years made many trips from Harrisonville, Mo., to the northern states, hauling trailers full of clothing and other items to the reservation. Even after he was physically unable to make the trips, he continued to support the cause.

Dean spent several years doing chaplain services at the Cass County Regional Medical Center, in Harrisonville. He loved the Lord and looked forward to joining his Master.

Survivors include his three children and their spouses, Randy and Paula (Gerster) Corbin, of Carl Junction, Mo., and their children Travis Corbin and his wife, Ciri (Devin, Coral, and Zane), of Carl Junction, Mo., Traci (Corbin) Kuhnert and her husband, John (Jake and Ty), of Springfield, Rhonda and Dennis Wallen, of El Dorado Springs, Mo., and Renn and Cindy (Wahmeyer) Corbin and their daughter, Brandi Corbin and Jeremy Maus (Ethan and Kohl), all of Schell City; three sisters, Dixie Bennetts, of Fruita, Colo., Arlene Munyon, of Golden, Colo., and Virginia Durbin and her husband, Lee, of Golden, Colo.; and nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.

No local services are planned, but friends may call at the Lewis-Hoagland Funeral Home, in Schell City. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Schell City High School Alumni Association Scholarship Fund or to Heartland Hospice, of Butler, Mo., in care of the Lewis-Hoagland Funeral Home.

Interment will be held at a later date in Pleasant Park Cemetery, Conifer, Colo.

Arrangements for Dean T. Corbin have been entrusted to the Lewis-Hoagland Funeral Home, in Schell City.