Charles Cornett

Charles Onell Cornett, Aged 92, passed on Saturday January 17th, 2026. Born February 1st 1933 in Endicott, NY to Onell Lee Cornett and Anna Mae Byers. Charles (Chuck/Bucky/Chas), the fifth of six children, is survived by his three daughters, Debbie (Wayne) Martin, Kim (Dan) Dailey, and Pam (Mike) Giambattista - as well as three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and a bevy of cousins and kinsmen. Growing up the emblematic farmhand in the Appalachian Valley of Western New York, Charles was drafted out of High School into the United States Army alongside his elder brothers and many close friends. Upon completion of training with the prestigious Ranger School at Fort Benning, Chuck served with distinction in the Mediterranean theatre of operations before being discharged on his birthday in 1955. After completing his patriotic duties he began an illustrious career at IBM, starting with a clerking position at the local office in his hometown of Owego, NY. Taking advantage of his vast interpersonal skills and an assertive sense of self-worth, his career blossomed in various business endeavors for the company. At the peak of his career Chas negotiated contracts and procurements for all branches of the uniformed services as well as the burgeoning Apollo space program, overseeing offices in Gaithersburg, Houston, Manassas, Cape Kennedy, and Westlake, CA. Past IBM, Chuck served in various capacities for such companies as Unisys, Lockheed Martin, and Harvard Manufacturers before finally retiring to Delray Beach FL in 2004. He is reunited with his beloved Bonnie Pangburn Cornett. When asked upon the nature of mortality, Charles was quoted as saying: "The best thing we can do to honor those we love is not to mourn their passing but celebrate wholeheartedly the life they lived."

A very special thank you to the entire staff at Canterfield of Bluffton where Charles resided for the past 3 years.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to:

Crescent Hospice https://www.hospicesc.com/make_a_donation.php or Wounded Warriors https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.

Family and friends are invited to visit at Richards Funeral Home, 3670 Waverly Rd. Owego, NY on Saturday April 11, 2026, from 9:30am to 11:00am. A Celebration of Life will begin at 11:00am with Steve Lawrence, Life Celebrant officiating. Interment will be in Tioga Cemetery with Military Honors. Please share your memories at www.RichardsFH.com