Rev. Connor Lewis Corkran, Jr.

The Rev. Connor Lewis Corkran, Jr., 86, of Morganton, NC died Friday, April 14, 2017 at his home..  Born August 10, 1930 in Baltimore, MD, he was the first of 6 children born to the late Connor Lewis Corkran, Sr. and Catherine Leona Liedlich Corkran.

Mr. Corkran was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Conover, where he had previously served as Sunday School Superintendent and President of the congregation.

Connor attended the college of William and Mary; Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, IL; Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN; and Trinity Seminary in Newburgh, IN.  He earned the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Theology, and Master of Divinity degrees and was a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

Long active in the community, Connor chaired the Burke County on Aging; Board of Directors, Burke County Chapter of the American Red Cross; S.A.L.T. Council of Burke County; vice-chairman, Morganton-Burke Senior Center Advisory Board.  He served on the Board of Directors, Carolinas Region Blood Services; Board of Directors, Volunteer Families for Children.  He was previously president of Homes for Hearts, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to finding homes for foster children.  He served the Morganton Lions Club as Secretary and was President for 3 terms.  Corkran was chairman of District 31-B Public Information and Education.  He founded and was first president of Hickory Branch 116, Fleet Reserve Association, and Morganton Branch 123.  He founded and was first president of North Carolina Lutherans for Life.

Corkran was a 26 gallon blood donor and was certified by the American Red Cross in adult, infant, and child CPR and First Aid.  He was a notary public and a court-appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children (Guardian ad Litem).

He had received numerous awards for his community service, including the North Carolina Governor’s Award for outstanding volunteer service.

Corkran served in the U.S. Navy and retired after 20 years of service at the rank of Chief Petty Officer.  He held a top secret/cosmic security clearance.  He was a Lutheran pastor for 20 years and upon his retirement from the ministry was a vocational rehabilitation counselor with the NC Department of Rehabilitation Services.  Connor briefly served as a vocational expert with the Social Security Administration, Office of Hearings and Appeals, and as a vocational consultant with the Burke County Department of Social Services JOBS program.  He taught job seeking/retention skills at Impact WEST for Western Piedmont Community College.

Connor is survived by his wife of 65 years, Alma Jean Ballard Corkran; daughters, Debra Corkran of Morganton and Rebecca Beech and husband, Donald, of Valdese, NC; a son, Timothy David Corkran of Mountain View (Hickory); 9 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Timothy Albert Corkran of Baton Rouge, LA.

In addition to his parents, Connor was preceded in death by a daughter, Linda Carol Davis; two brothers, Michael Frances Corkran and Noel William Corkran; and 2 sisters, Patricia Ann Staub and Anne Elizabeth Brown.

The family will receive friends from 3 to 4pm, Monday, April 17, 2017 at Sossoman Funeral Home.  The funeral will be held at 4pm in the Colonial Chapel of the funeral home with the Rev. Delbert Roth and the Rev. Rudy DeRosa officiating.  Burial will follow in Burke Memorial Park with military honors provided by the U.S. Navy and the Caldwell County Veterans Honor Guard.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Homes for Hearts, Inc., P.O. Box 3752, Morganton, NC 28680 or to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Road, Valdese, NC 28690.

Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family.