Helene Ann Corbett

Helene Defabaugh Corbett, our mother, grandmother, and friend, passed peacefully on March 13, 2024.  She was 94 years old and proud of that number!

Helene was born on September 27, 1929, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Glenn Defabaugh and Hester Taylor Defabaugh.  She was raised in Liberty, Missouri, and graduated from Liberty High School.  She attended William Jewell College and graduated with a degree in psychology and her teaching certificate, and was an active member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.

She began teaching school in Albuquerque, NM in 1951.  She met Richard Corbett that same year and they were married on January 1, 1952, in Idaho Falls, ID, and later divorced.  Richard’s Air Force career took them to England where they lived for 3 years, and where their son, Scott was born. They returned to Spokane, WA where Kelly, Stephanie, and Kennedy were born. An Air Force transfer in 1961 took them to Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV, and Helene resided there for the next 63 Years. 

Helene taught school in England and returned to teaching after their move to Las Vegas.  She taught for the Clark County School District for 40 years where she was a devoted and dedicated teacher.

Helene was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and enjoyed serving as a teacher, a seminary teacher, and as Central Stake Girl’s Camp Director for 15 years. 

Helene was a brilliant woman.  Her capacity to remember details of people’s lives was incredible and kind. Her small but lovely home of her last 22 years was a beautiful compilation of an English garden, an extensive library, and a curated museum of treasures, each with a story she could recall with amazing accuracy. She was a voracious reader and had an impressive collection of books of all topics which she generously loaned to any who were interested.  Helene passed her love of reading on to her four children. 

She could converse passionately on any topic: sports, religion, politics, world events, local government, and the public school system in Clark County, NV.  Helene read the newspaper daily and often saved articles of interest for her children and grandchildren. She also had many entertaining stories about her beloved cats.

Helene was a kind and thoughtful neighbor and friend.

She was preceded in death by her son, Scott, great-granddaughter, Capri Payne, and daughter-in-law, Linda Ruesch Corbett. She is survived by her daughter-in-law Vicki Corbett, of Las Vegas, NV; her daughters Kelly (Harold) Ashcraft of Los Angeles, CA; Stephanie (Robert) Barkhuff of Las Vegas, NV; and Kennedy (Steven) Thorley of Orem, UT, 18 grandchildren, 51 great-grandchildren, and soon to arrive, 2 great-great-grandchildren. She also leaves many dear friends. 

We will miss her colorful and dramatic stories, wonderful book recommendations, and her stern look when she disapproved of our bad grammar and poor manners.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 23, 4:00 PM at the LDS Cheyenne Ridge Ward chapel,  8801 W. Alexander Rd.,Las Vegas NV at 4:00 PM.  Visitation for friends will be at 3:30 PM. Interment will be Monday, March 25, 10:00 AM at Bunkers Eden Vale Memorial Park, 1216 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Las Vegas, NV.

Loving thanks to Nathan Adelsen Hospice of Las Vegas, NV for their tender care of Helene.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Nathan Adelson Hospice. 702-796-3141

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