Joe Korst

Joe Korst never met a stranger. He only met future friends.

The legacy of Joe Korst is LOVE. As children, he told us: “the greatest gift a Father can give to his children is to love their mother.” And in that regard, Dad was the world record holder! Thank you, Dad!! Their love affair was captured for posterity by Steve Hartman and CBS Sunday Morning in August 2020. https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1299481523473743874?s=20

Joe didn’t stop there though. He LOVED EVERYONE he ever met and anyone he met loved him immediately and has never forgotten him.

We’re pretty sure Joe Korst also invented the selfie. In the 70s, when Mom and Dad would have parties, Dad would have his Kodak film camera in hand, turn the lens at whomever was near and snap some pretty darn good candid shots!

Joe loved in this order: his wife, Sharon, his family, and golf! Born on August 8, 1933 in Joliet, IL to William and Marie Korst, he earned a golf scholarship at Wichita State University in 1951, where he met and eventually married Sharon Curnutt. Singing to Dad yesterday, surrounded by his four children, we thanked Mom for picking Joe and in typical Sharon fashion, she replied: “you betcha!”

Dad was everyone’s favorite: favorite uncle, grandfather, friend and brother. Many nicknames have come over the years, but “Joe Banana” has stuck around for 50 years. As the story goes, when Dad was a Pizza Hut franchisee in Illinois in the late 60s, and one of their construction sites was mysteriously burned to the ground by the local mafia, Dad and his partner decided they needed their own mafia names, Dad picked Joe Banana, and that was that!

Joe is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sharon Curnutt Korst, his children, Kathy Korst Evans (Michael Evans), Chris Korst (Clare), Theresa Korst Kostrzewa (Bruce Tucker), Betsy Korst Mansouri (Hamid). Nine grandchildren: Christopher McKenna, Caitlin McKenna, Andrew Korst, Caroline Korst, Dr. Genevieve Korst (Dr. Hunter Radcliff); Gabriella Korst Kostrzewa, Braeden Mansouri, Navid Mansouri and Arman Mansouri (Bella).

He is also survived by nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews – from coast to coast!

We will FOREVER be grateful to Transitions Hospice for lovingly and skillfully leading us on his journey over the last two weeks, to Josie Bryan who has helped us with Mom and Dad for the last year, and LaKesha Cooley with Golden Harmony, whose daily presence over these final days has given comfort and peace to all of us.

The last line of “it’s a Wonderful Life” epitomizes Joe Korst: “No man is a failure who has friends.”

The family requests you consider donating to Transitions LifeCare, Philanthropy Dept. | 250 Hospice Circle | Raleigh, NC 27607
transitionslifecare.org/donate

A Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a future date. If you wish to be invited, please email: LoveLikeJoe33@gmail.com