If today you woke up to sunshine, it is because laughter, smiles, and love are shining down on you from Heaven. If it is cloudy or rainy, it is because the tears of a clown are raining down on you to send you her love.
Cora Sue (Corkey—the Graphic Clown) Brown Poynter left this Earthly realm on Sunday, October 27, 2019, surrounded by her family. Born on February 7, 1943, to Jeanette (Crouse) Brown and Elmer Brown Sr., she spent her life making others happy, giving back to the community, and filling the world with beauty and adventures.
Corkey graduated from Richmond High School and went on to enjoy a long career in publishing. She was instrumental in maintaining The Graphic’s Inc. publications running, and making sure that the Rose Parade was always colored with her amazing floats and characters. Corkey then went to the Pal-Item after the closing of The Graphic, and spent some years after retirement from publishing working taking care of others at various care facilities.
Corkey was an avid reader and an accomplished artist, having won numerous awards for her paintings, and always offering opportunities to others—especially the youth—to participate in creative projects that involved all areas of art, reading, writing, and anything that would engage the people in her life and help them grow as individuals.
During the course of her life, she took all of her family on numerous adventures. From trips to the Children’s Museum, and serving soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as well as Christmas ornament making annually and the best New Year’s Eve parties her nieces and nephews could ever have, she always embraced having fun and loving hard.
Corkey is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Elmer (Scooter) Brown the second, Joseph Steven (Steve) Brown and his wife Virginia (Ginger) DeLucio Brown, Michael Brown, and sister Carolyn (Sue) Bockhofer, nephew John Brown and Niece Lauri Brown.
Corkey leaves behind to cherish her joy for life one Brother-In-Law, John Bockhofer, Sister—In—Law Doris Brown, several nieces and nephews: Beth (Bob) Sumrall, Dave (Kathy) Bockhofer, Johnny (Pam) Bockhofer, Lunetta (Dee) Akkerman, Amy Pratti, Theresa (Bill) Benededict, Michelle Stiffler, Emily (Michael) Sherrow, Tammy (Chris) Ramsey, Greg (Dottie) Alcorn, Troy Alcorn, Dana (Nestor) Narcelles. She also leaves numerous great-nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews, because she only surrounded herself with people she loved and were GREAT. In addition to family, she also will be remembered by incredibly important, special friends: Charlotte Lady and Karen Kovalcin —her best friends forever.
Services will be private, but a Celebration of Life will be held at the Leland Ballroom on November 14th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make a charitable contribution to the cause of your choice.