Corrine Joyce Reh, the youngest of three siblings and the only one to be born at the family homestead near Bennington, Kanas, was born June 29, 1945, to Vera (Snyder) Reh and Leslie W. Reh. She died July 6, 2024, with family members beside her.

Corrine was born during wheat harvest and her mother was soon fixing meals for harvest hands, including German prisoners of war whose guards left their rifles outside at mealtime. Family lore tells that the prisoners rocked Corrine's crib while waiting for a substantial meal from her mother.

Corrine, sister, Maxine and older brother, John, attended Bennington public schools where the girls were inevitably compared to their highly accomplished older brother.

They did fine in their own right. As anyone who has ever played word games with her knows, Corrine had an enormous lexicon developed in school, county and state spelling contests. Corrine was active in academics, music, forensics, cheerleading, pep club and band. She was president of the class of 1963, and Head Majorette of the Black and Gold Band, comprised of musicians from five small area high schools. She played trumpet in the concert band and a jazz quartet. As a tribute to her talent, she was selected one year to attend the State Concert Band camp in Kansas City.

Following graduation from high school, Corrine moved to Salina, Kansas, to work and hang out with friends. She helped one of the friends manage her mother's apartment building and worked in the catalog department of Sears in Salina. During the summer of 1964, her boss and rural neighbor, Bonnie Walston, did us all a huge favor when she told Corrine that if she did not resign to go to college, Bonnie would fire her.

That summer, Corrine and other music fans attended Armory dances and other performances of popular rock bands. Though they were in the same marching band and the same athletic league, Ron Sidener and she had never spoken directly to one another. They finally met at a Blue Things dance at the former prisoner of war camp at Concordia, Kansas. They started meeting at dances in the area and when Corrine enrolled at Fort Hays Kansas State College, where Ron worked in the kitchen of her dormitory, they began dating. One evening back at the farm they mutually agreed to Corrine's suggestion that they get married. They did on August 28, 1965, in Minneapolis, Kansas. Owing to a change of majors and Ron's shaky academic start the couple spent three more semesters at Fort Hays until Ron graduated and Corrine finished sophomore requirements. Ron taught English and psychology at Harper High School for three semesters and Corrine gave birth to their first son, Drew Nolf Sidener, on April 11, 1967, after a grueling delivery. He was the only baby in the Harper Hospital and was spoiled by nurses taking a break to rock him.

In 1968, Corrine, Ron and Drew moved to the Kansas City area where Ron began a career with the USDA Inspector General's Office. About a year later, Corrine accepted a sales job with Hardin Stockton Real Estate at the Olathe office. Her work there enabled the couple to buy their first home. On September 28, 1971, Corrine gave birth to Jeremy Reh Sidener at Research Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, within 15 minutes of their arrival. A few years later the couple and the boys moved to Chicago for a year then to Northern Virginia.

During the six-year stay in Springfield, Virginia, Corrine convinced the Commonwealth that yes she was a permanent resident and transferred sixty hours from Fort Hays to George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. Told by university officials that she needed two more hours of biology lab to graduate, she had a meeting with the head of that department and got the requirement waived on the strength of having given birth to two babies. She earned her English degree in 1982. A few years later, the GMU Alumni Newsletter identified only two graduates in Kansas - both living on the same street in Olathe.

Also while in Springfield, Corrine and Ron served as a home away from home to nephew Jeff Reh who stayed with them while interning one summer for Senator Bob Dole. Every evening Jeff entertained the family around the dinner table recounting each day's activities on the Hill. Later, while a law student at American University, Jeff spent many weekends upstairs in Corrine's office working on his law studies, taking occasional breaks to play touch football in the street. Brother-in-Law, Bernie Owen, Arlington, Texas, visited one Thanksgiving from Syracuse University's Masters of Public Administration program and got some valuable editorial assistance from Corrine on a paper due after the holiday. After Vickie Rock returned to the States from France and married Jeff and settled in Alexandria, the couples grew beyond close relatives to even closer friends.

In 1985, following a return to the Kansas City area and settling in Olathe, Corrine applied to be a "Kelly Girl" to get out of the house. She was sent to a staff at Marion Laboratories, Inc. Kansas City. The recruiter for that staff recognized that she was a true asset for an opening in the Communications Department and referred her there.

She became a full-time employee in 1985 and stayed with the company through its growth and change to Marion Merrill Dow, Hoechst Marion Roussel and Aventis. She took a buyout and retired when the company moved to New Jersey in 2000.

She grew in her job under the mentorship of Dr. Deborah Young, Director of Communications, International and Research and Development, now a long-time personal friend. Corrine was a Manager for the latter part of her career and a dedicated resource for Dr. Frank Douglas, Global Head of Research and Development. One Christmas holiday Dr. Douglas managed to track her down and call her back from the farm to fly to Tucson, Arizona, to help him prepare to announce to a small research company that it was being acquired. As the first company official to arrive, Corrine was given VIP treatment, a casita separate from the hotel proper, a huge bouquet and fruit basket and a front row seat from which to watch roving herds of Javelinas trash the golf course.

Other highlights of her job included making two demanding trips to Europe on the company tab; being chauffeured by Fred Lyons, company president, on a trip to Midland, Michigan; and in all likelihood saving a colleague's life by applying the Heimlich Maneuver after responding to choking sounds in the neighboring work space.

A favorite story is that late one evening in the early 90s, Corrine was collaborating with fellow Manager, Renee Grojean, crafting a letter to all employees from Ewing Kauffman to explain his changing role due to health issues. Corrine commented that a certain passage did not sound like Mr. Kauffman, to which Renee responded, "Well, he's been sick!" Various executives for whom she drafted correspondence would say, "You really do sound like me," as she was thinking, "No, you really sound like me." Corrine's relationship with the company ended after retirement when she contracted to write the company manual for the move of personnel and processes to New Jersey.

Corrine retired just in time to become a first-time grandmother in 2000. She and Ron were able to spend their time in retirement traveling to Europe on five stunning trips to different regions of France, Italy and Portugal with Jeff and Vickie and their son, Bryce, on the first two trips. These trips were a dream come true as Vickie's language skills and friendships in wine country and both Jeff and Vickie's knowledge of language, and understanding of art, history and culture opened Corrine and Ron's deeper appreciation for these incredible experiences. Their last outing to Europe was a delightful river cruise in October 2023, beginning in Amsterdam and finishing at Lake Como, Italy.

When not traveling Corrine and Ron enjoyed spoiling their grandchildren, Zelda and Harper and Finn and Oona; getting to see Jeremy and nephew, Steve Owen, play live music with their various bands; attending the children's many performances in musicals, dramas, vocal performances and dance recitals. Their home was always open to any number of incredible friends from around the world. Corrine, especially embodied the Emily Dickinson quote, "There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met."

Corrine was an active supporter of the Kansas City theater scene, as she and Ron were season ticket holders at Music Theater Heritage; Kansas City Actors Theatre, which adopted her four word review, "Great Actors. Smart Plays." as a catch line; and Shakespeare in the Park, often attending with one or more grandchild, missing only two plays in 30 plus seasons— one while in Italy and the one this year after Corrine fell ill. Other great retirement experiences included two visits to New York with George Harter's A Night on the Town Theater Trips, often seeing original casts of Tony Award Broadway productions. They planned to do another trip this fall but Corrine's circumstances drastically changed.

Corrine was active in three book clubs. Sometimes more than one club selected the same books. She read the books twice if much time had elapsed since the first study. She recommended many of the books to Ron, who followed her suggestions and debriefed her after book club meetings.

Other than family, travel and leisure perhaps the best thing that happened in Corrine's retirement years was enrolling in water aerobics classes taught by "Aqua Queen," Mary Holcomb, and other talented instructors, but mostly Mary. Corrine started the classes about 2008-9 and Ron came later. Corrine and Ron credited the classes with keeping them alive through various health challenges, providing a new social network and developing deep friendships until Corrine was confronted with the dreadful disease that took her life.

Most of all, Corrine was a wonderful and loving counselor to her family and friends and total strangers who unburdened themselves to her in airports or waiting lines. She was a good listener and responded with wisdom usually purchased in thirty minute sessions. She made better persons of Ron and their children, other family members and friends.

Corrine was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, John Reh and his wife, Judith Kirkland Reh; her infant nephew Gregory Owen; and her six-year old great-niece Devin Reh. She is survived by husband Ron; sons Jeremy and Drew; daughter-in-law Nicole Vap; grandchildren Zelda, Harper, Finn and Oona; sister Maxine Owen (Bernie); niece, Elaine Edwards (Jay); nephews Jeff Reh (Vickie), Steve Owen (Carol), Kirk Reh (Teresa), and Mitchel Owen (Kymberly); sister-in-law Linda Wallace (David, nieces Rexanne Greuter (Ivan) and Jillinda Ansell (Aaron); and several great-nieces and nephews and nearly as many great-great-nieces and nephews.

As she wished, Corrine was cremated and will rest in Ron's apartment until he too earns an urn and they will be buried in Bennington, Kansas, near her parents and nephew Gregory Owen.

A celebration of Corrine's life will be held August 3 from 2-6 PM at the home of Mary and Bob Holcomb, 13220 Falmouth Street, Leawood, Kansas 66209.

Memorial gifts may be made to Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City Donate to Children's Mercy (childrensmercy.org); Heart to Heart International, Lenexa Heart to Heart International - A Healthcare Nonprofit Organization.