R. Lee Corbin

R. Lee Corbin, 76, of Montrose passed away Friday, May 24, 2024 at Firesteel Care Center in Mitchell, SD.  Funeral mass will be held at 10:30 am on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Montrose.  A rosary will be said at 6:45 pm on Tuesday evening followed by a celebration of life at Kinzley Funeral Home in Salem.  Family will be present one hour prior to the rosary. To honor Lee’s love of Hawaii, the family will be wearing their favorite Hawaiian garb, and invite our friends to join in.

R. Lee Corbin was born January 26, 1948 in Madison, IN to George W. and Ruth A. (Horton) Corbin.  On August 1, 1969 he married Loretta Meyers. As they built their family they lived in Sioux Falls for a while, moved to Rapid City as Lee completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Journalism, and then found their way back to Montrose.  They raised their four Children Rob, Ann, Tina and James on an acreage outside of Montrose. Always the free spirit, Lee pursued many career options, finding cab driving to be one of his favorites.  He always spoke of the enjoyment he found in relating and sharing life stories with others.  He loved people. Second to cab driving his passion for helping people led him to pursue a degree as a certified drug and alcohol counselor.  Some of his favorite stories of his work from a halfway house was the ability to relate to and share experiences and life stories. The most important thing in life to Lee were the people in it. The relationships he had.  He always spoke of leaving a legacy for the ones he loved.  As he journeyed through his battle with cancer, he realized the people he loved were his legacy. He often spoke of how he was the richest man in the world because of the love of his family.

Lee was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Montrose. Early in his life, he loved to ride motorcycles, he loved to sing and play his keyboard. He was always very good at whatever he tried his hand at.  He was a chess master and not many could beat him at a game of pool. He never missed a Monday night RAW. He did a great Macho Man Randy Savage Impression. Oh Yeah!

He is survived by: his wife, Loretta; children, Rob (Theresa) Corbin, Ann (Chris) Bossman, Tina (Steve) Castle and James (Amy Berry) Corbin. 14 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews; his brother, Charles (June) Corbin, his sister, Nancy (Dan) White, and his sisters-in-law Elaine Meyers and Nita Selleck.   He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Betty, his sister-in-law Janet and several grandchildren.