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Mattye Lorena "Duke" Arrington Corbett
October 14, 1930 - September 16, 2021
Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Mattye passed away peacefully at Peak Resources Brookshire in Hillsborough after 2 years of declining health due to a stroke in 2019.
Mattye was born in Norristown, GA to Jesse and Ola Arrington and was the baby of the family. She was known to her family as Duke, a childhood nickname. She graduated from Moultrie High School in 1947 and from there she went off to Middle Georgia School of Nursing in Macon, Georgia graduating in 1950 as a Registered Nurse. Her first nursing job was at Duke Hospital where she met her future husband on a blind date. She married Bill (William P.) Corbett in 1952. After Bill's discharge from the Army they moved to Wilmington, North Carolina where Mattye worked at James Walker Memorial Hospital in the operating room as an OR nurse. She had 3 children between 1954 and 1957; Penn, Chris & Jess. Mattye was divorced in 1966 while attending anesthesia school to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Watt's Hospital in Durham, NC. After working briefly in Tallahassee, Florida, Mattye took a position at NC Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC in the Anesthesia Department in 1967. She worked there until her retirement in 1994. Mattye often mentioned that her two greatest achievements were her children and her career as a CRNA.
Mattye was a life long avid reader with a keen interest in all things related to World War II having grown up during that time with a brother and brother-in-law serving in the Navy & Army respectively. It was during this time that she first saw herself as a future nurse. Mattye's other passion's were Tarheel basketball and Dean Smith as well as cooking where she amassed quiet the collection of cookbooks over the years.
Mattye was preceded in passing by her parents and her brother, Charles Arrington. She is survived by her sister, Wynelle Heirs of Moultrie, GA, her children Penn Corbett, Pittsboro NC, Chris Elswick, Grundy VA and Jess Corbett, Winnabow NC as well as nieces Martha Sue Neil, Sacramento CA, Jane Arrington, Blowing Rock NC, Kathi Johnson, Atlanta GA. She also leaves behind 3 grand children and 2 great-grand children.
Final service arrangements have not been planned at this time. In lieu of flowers we would be honored if you would make a contribution to your favorite charity in Mom's memory.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Sponsored by Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill.
1 Entry
My heart felt sympathy for a Mattye who worked with me for more than 30 years.People who worked with her are mostly all gone.It is a sad day for me in that I did not know about it till today.My prayers with the family.Dr Joe Ghia
Joe Ghia
September 24, 2021
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