Seaside

Nov. 1, 1944 — July 27, 2024

Roni Josephine Corkrey, affectionately known as Roni Jo, passed away on July 27, at the age of 79, in Seaside.

Born on Nov. 1, 1944, in Davenport, Iowa, Roni Jo Kerwin spent her childhood on an Iowa farm near Audubon before leaving for St Catherine’s Nursing School in Nebraska.

While attending nursing school in Omaha, Nebraska, Roni met her future husband, John Corkrey, and soon moved to Seaside, where she would spend the remainder of her life appreciating the coastal beauty and forming enduring relationships within her community.

Roni Jo dedicated 30 years of her career as a medical assistant at the John O’Donovan Clinic in Seaside. Her warmth and dedication made her a beloved figure among patients and colleagues alike, with her work and friendships at the clinic being a massive source of pride.

Roni Jo’s true passion, however, was her family and friends. She found immense joy in the simple pleasures of life, such as gathering people in her kitchen, and walking along the Prom, rain or shine. Even as her memory faded, her routine did not; she continued her daily walks, always striving to offer a friendly word to passersby, embodying her belief in the power of kindness.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Dr. John Corkrey; her children, Casey Corkrey, and his wife, Tari, and Erin Campbell, and her husband, Jay; her granddaughters, Parker, Shea and Reese Campbell; and her brother, Jim Kerwin. Each of these relationships underscored the profound and loving impact Roni Jo had on her family.

Though no formal celebration of life is planned, the family encourages those who wish to honor Roni Jo’s memory to take a walk along the Prom and look for the green flash at sunset — a phenomenon she claimed to have witnessed.

The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers at Avamere at Seaside memory care for their compassionate care of Roni Jo, and to all the regular Prom walkers who added a smile or kind word to her daily walks.