Edward Baring Corcoran, “Ned” to his friends and “Damnpa” to his family, died peacefully at the age of 96 after a short illness, surrounded by his family, at his home in Middletown, RI.
Ned was born on October 14, 1926, the second of five children of Edward J. and Mary Stella (Walsh) Corcoran. He was a life-long resident of Newport County. He was raised in Newport and moved to Middletown after his marriage to his beautiful wife Ruth Chatterton Corcoran in 1956. Ned was a graduate of Rogers High School, Brown University and Columbia Law School. He enlisted in the Army in 1944 and was stationed in the Philippines as the Second World War was coming to an end. He liked to say that “the Japanese gave up when they heard that I was coming.” He played basketball at Brown and was part of a memorable victory at Boston Garden over a Holy Cross team that was led by Bob Cousy and Joe Mullaney.
After law school, Ned embarked on a long and distinguished career at Corcoran, Peckham & Hayes where he practiced law with his brother Bill for over 60 years. He was actively engaged in community and public service. He was a founding member of the Boys & Girls Clubs and its longest serving president. He was a prodigious fundraiser – he and Ruth twice chaired capital campaigns for the Newport Hospital and the campaign for the new St. Lucy’s Church. He drove a route for Meals on Wheels for many years.
In Middletown, he served as the town moderator and was instrumental in transforming the Town’s form of government from Town Meeting to Town Council, and he served for 10 years on the Council, several as its chair. He was particularly proud of his role in engineering the land swap between the Navy, the National Wildlife Service and the Town to preserve Sachuest Point as a wildlife refuge and to make Third Beach public. Indeed, until last summer, he could be seen swimming the buoy line every evening of the summer at Third Beach.
Ned loved history, art and nature. He loved his garden and loved to feed his birds. He had tremendous artistic talent; most of the paintings at his home were his and feature scenes of Second and Third Beaches, Hanging Rock and similar locations. He had a great sense of humor and was quick with a joke at any occasion, often adding levity to the most difficult of situations. Ned taught us all how to live, laugh and love – and to be good citizens of the world. He never missed the opportunity to do the right thing and he drew great strength from simple acts of charity to others.
Ned is survived by Ruth, his wife of 66 years, and six of their children and their spouses: Ned and his wife Alison Corcoran of Boston, Massachusetts, Julie and her husband Chris Jocham of Eagle, Idaho, Ruthie Corcoran and Robert Pinheiro of Middletown, Allen Corcoran of Middletown, Mary and her husband Ned Truslow of New Canaan, Connecticut, and Jim Corcoran and Cecilia Schilling of Middletown. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law Wanda Corcoran, his brother Mike Corcoran, Walter Owen, 17 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son John Corcoran, his sister Sr. Anne Corcoran, his brothers Bill Corcoran and Rev. Jack Corcoran, and many dogs, among them Pip, Timmy, Corky, Jet and Bruno (aka Bill Laimbeer, the dog you loved to hate).
Calling hours will take place at O’Neill-Hayes Funeral Home, 465 Spring St, Newport, on Friday, February 3 from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 4 at 10:00 am at St. Lucy’s Church, 909 West Main Rd, Middletown. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, 70 Bath St, Providence, RI 02908, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County, Inc., 95 Church St, Newport, RI 02840 or the Newport Hospital Foundation, 11 Friendship St, Newport, RI 02840.
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