Janet Sue Alston Corcoran, age 65 of Ink, Arkansas passed away Thursday, March 16, 2017 in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was born in Mena, Arkansas on November 21, 1951 to the late Claud Gilbert and Jewel Alston and graduated from Mena High School in 1970.
Janet married Joseph (Joe) Patrick Corcoran in May 1976 at England Air Force Base, Alexandria, Louisiana, while they were both serving in the USAF. Janet worked as a legal services specialist for the USAF Area Defense Counsel. Janet and Joe met one day in the barracks parking lot when Janet caught Joe sitting on her prized 1968 Plymouth Satellite and started yelling at him. Joe was smitten with the pretty redhead and they began dating immediately. They were married within a year, and were then stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
After their USAF service, Janet and Joe attended college on the GI Bill and both graduated from Louisiana State University, where Janet received 3 college degrees.
Janet and Joe have three lovely children: Edward, Nicholas and Catherine.
Janet is survived by Joseph Corcoran her husband of 40+ years and their children: Edward Alston Corcoran and wife Heidi Gustad, Nicholas Patrick Corcoran, Catherine Suzanne Corcoran Koehler and her husband Stephen Koehler, her brother Ronald Dean “Dude” Alston and Helen Velmer, niece Shelly Alston, nephew Luke Alston, sister-in-law Margie Alston, great-niece Presley Ashcraft and great-nephew Gregory Blaschka, great-great nephew Slate Ashcraft and many, many wonderful Corcoran in-laws and nieces and nephews and by her dear childhood friend and sister-in-law Ann Hughes and her BFF Jeanne Bonkofsky.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Claud Gilbert Alston and Jewel Alston, and her brother, Fred Alston.
Janet, who was raised as a Southern Baptist, raised her children in the Catholic faith with Joe. Janet was baptized recently while in the hospital and received the last rites by a Catholic priest. So, as musician Ray Stevens would say, she was a “Captist.”
Janet really enjoyed her flowers and gardening and recently completed a master gardener program.
Above all, she loved her family and was a “mother hen” to many.
According to Joe, Janet was feisty, opinionated and told him one time that she enjoyed the fighting and making up as a part of marriage. They fought to stay together and they dearly loved each other.
The funeral service was conducted on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Concord Baptist Church at Ink with Michael J. Corcoran (brother of Joe Corcoran) presiding.
The American Legion Veterans Honor Guard provided military honors and the pallbearers were: Stephen Koehler, Tom Bonkofsky, Jay Balkenhol,
Luke Alston, David Maddox, and John Nguyen.
Interment was at the Concord Cemetery at Ink near her parents and brother.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.
More Stories
The Polk County Pulse – April 17, 2024
The Polk County Pulse – April 10, 2024
The Polk County Pulse – April 3, 2024