Corbett Van “Corky” Cundiff passed away June 2, 2022 at a local healthcare facility. Born in Bolckow, Missouri February 10, 1928, he was the youngest of five children and the only son of Corbett and Mary (Van Meter) Cundiff.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife Virginia Ann (Jenkins) Cundiff; daughter Patricia Cundiff Benitz; sisters: Rheta Guthery, Gertrude Jones, Vivian Larson and Ava Lee Estes.
Corky married the love of his life, Virginia Ann Jenkins, on Good Friday, April 7, 1950 at Savannah Avenue Baptist Church. They had been married 71 Years at the time of his death.
He is survived by a son, Rodney (Deborah) Cundiff; former son-in-law Wesley (Debbie) Benitz; grandchildren Brandon (Angie) Benitz, Jennifer (Lucas Gray) Benitz, Tyler (Kylee) Cundiff; step-grandchildren Scott (Mendi) Adams and Brent (Christine) Adams; great-grandchildren Connor Cundiff and Kennedy Cundiff; step-great-grandchildren Haden McDonald, Corbin McDonald, Sydney Adams and Brilynn Estes; a nephew and four nieces.
Corky graduated from Lafayette High School, class of 1946. Immediately upon graduation, he with seven other classmates enlisted in the Army. After basic training, they were deployed to Korea from 1946 to 1947. Returning to the States with an Honorable Discharge, Corky was selected for the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy in 1950.
After graduating from the Academy in 1951, he spent the next 35 years with Troop H in Saint Joseph, retiring in 1986 with the rank of Sargent. During his career, he was assigned to numerous security details: The Missouri Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York; bodyguard to Betty Ford at the Republican Convention in Kansas City; Honor Guard for the funeral of Governor John Dalton.
Upon retirement, Corky and Gin spent their summers at their lakefront house in Minnesota. Corky loved to fish for crappie and walleye there and to hunt for deer and turkey back in Missouri. He once said that being out in Nature made him feel closer to God, and hunting made him feel closer to his ancestors who had to live off the land.
Corky was a long-time member and deacon at Savannah Avenue Baptist Church, and more recently a member of First Baptist Church, Savannah, MO. He was a fifty-year member of Brotherhood Lodge #269 and a member of the American Legion Post of Savannah, MO.
Visitation is Thursday, June 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Meierhoffer Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Friday, June 10 at 1 p.m. with burial at Memorial Park. Rev. Dan Mefford will officiate.
