Eugenia ‘Jean’ Corey Depken

PINE PLAINS — Eugenia “Jean” Corey Depken, 90, of Poughkeepsie passed away Dec. 23, 2012, at The Pines Rehabilitation Center. She was born at home in Millbrook on Sept. 12, 1922, to Mary (Mathis) and Martin Kelly. She was a graduate of Pine Plains High School. In 1943, she married Lawrence Corey at the Immaculate Conception Church in Bangall, N.Y. He predeceased her. In 1968, she married Herman Depken at the Immaculate Conception Church. He also predeceased her. Jean’s career included working for Bennett College, The Boy Scouts of America, Safety First, IBM and as a home health-care provider. She was a member of The Immaculate Conception Church, the Stanfordville Library, the Board of Elections, the American Legion Auxiliary and the Stanford Recreation Committee. She was an advocate for literacy in Dutchess County for many years. Jean loved life. She lived every day to its fullest and was an outdoors woman. She left behind a legacy of love for fishing, swimming, hiking, biking, horseback riding and skating. Jean never traveled far from home but shared her inexpensive travel secret with many through her love of reading. She also loved music, dancing and cooking. She taught her grandchildren and great-grandchildren how to survive in the woods, track a deer, shoot a .22, play poker, make a perfect silver dollar pancake and to catch their first trout. She took great pride in knowing that they would all rather spend one day with Grandma than a week at Disney World. Survivors of Jean’s “Mark Twain meets Robin Williams” wisdom are too many to list. Her practical yet whimsical approach to life, love and laughter will be missed by everyone whose life she touched. Jean is survived by her children, G. Martin and Patricia Corey of Charlotte, N.C., and BJ and Allen Ackerman of Poughkeepsie; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Shawn and Diana Corey and their daughter, Piper, of Seven Devils, N.C., Corey and Timothy Sorensen and their sons, Cole and Rohan of Austin, Texas, Rachel Spiller and Michael Kubin and their sons, Ethan, Gavin and Shea of Durham, N.C., Jason Ackerman of Slingerlands, N.Y., and Carly Ackerman of Philadelphia, Pa.; her sister, Lillian Krom of Pleasant Valley; her sisters-in-law, Catherine Kelly of Pleasant Valley and Betty Orphal of Stanfordville; and many loving nieces and nephews. In addition to her two husbands, she was predeceased by her son, Chauncey Corey; her brothers, James, John, George and Sebastian Kelly; her sisters, Josephine Maher, Agnes Davis and Lucy Krom; and many nieces and nephews. The family would like to extend special thanks and deepest gratitude to all who sent cards, letters, phone calls, flowers and visited while Jean was well enough to enjoy them; and to Dr. David Weinreich and the staff at The Heart Center and Coumadin Clinic, Dr. Carlo Diminico and the staff at Mid-Hudson Medical Group, and to the extraordinary loving and caring staff at The Pines of Poughkeepsie who made her feel safe and loved during her final days. A very special thank you to her dear friends Gail Fauci and Catherine Miller; without your love and friendship, Jean could not have lived out her last year independently, in her beloved apartment at St. Simeon I. To honor Jean’s memory her final request was that you “pour a glass of red wine, enjoy a fine piece of chocolate and watch a baseball game. Believe in your hearts that life is good.” To sign the online register, go to www.peckandpeck.net.