Corky - so much more than a “stepfather” — he saved our mother, loved her intensely until the day he died, and then some. His last words to me about dying “I never loved anyone but your mother, and now I just want to be with her.”
Almost Romeo and Juliet quality love.

Their first meeting had to be destiny: Mom had not “gone out” for years, afraid that NJ Welfare folks would consider her frivolous. Corky had gotten out of the Marine Corps the day before. He walked into the bar, noticed the seat next to her was vacant, so he saddled up and started the relationship. They married 2-years later — he was 26 and she had 7-children ranging in age 17-2. (When I told this story at my Navy retirement, they gave him a standing ovation. Deserved.) He promptly purchased a home on Perry Street where they lived almost 50-years. (Aside: Corky lived on Perry St in four different houses, from birth to age 80. Talk about “born/raised” Cape May.)

He got a job with the City of Cape May, from water/sewer to mechanic to parking meter supervisor. The last job was a result of the previous guy getting caught “chipping quarters” and the Mayor told the City Manger to move “the most honest guy in Cape May” to the position. He only missed a couple days work in the 40+ years he worked there. He grew up even more poor than the Hess Family, so he always had a side hussle: Mowing lawns, hauling trash, parking cars, whatever. At one point, he even owned an Ice Cream Truck that he transited Cape May streets himself. He learned how to invest even a spare $20 into blue chip stocks. He would never be poor again. And, he made Mom’s life so much better every day.