Born in Belmont, Port of Spain, Trinidad on June 4, 1929, Valmond “Val” Francis Corbie was the third of eight children born to Norman and Hilda Corbie. His childhood was steeped in discipline, duty, and the warm island sun. He spent his early years playing cricket with his brothers—Ollie, Frank, Theldon, and LeRoy—and sharing a deep, affectionate bond with his sisters, Merle, Deanna, and his beloved “favorite” sister, Sheila.
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Family was the cornerstone of his existence. Annual vacations to Mayaro, Trinidad, were sacred traditions, filled with hand-churned barbadine ice cream and the sweet indulgence of soursop, mango Julie, mango Starch, and persimmons. These moments of joy would remain vivid in the stories he later shared with his children and grandchildren.
But Val was never one to sit idle. Inspired by what he would later call a divine premonition, he left Trinidad at the age of 19, seeking opportunity aboard merchant sailing vessels. There, in the engine rooms of ships that carried him across distant shores, he honed his skill as a machinist. His world was one of precision—working with pistons, axles, and connecting rods, ensuring every part functioned to the thousandth of a millimeter.
However, fate had other plans. Plagued by gallbladder attacks, he was forced to return to Trinidad for surgery, a twist of circumstance that would alter his life’s course forever. It was in the hospital, amidst his recovery, that he first laid eyes on a young nurse named Aileen Guy. At the time, he had no inkling that she would become his greatest love, but life often has its way of revealing its plans in due time.
A Love That Spanned Continents
Val and Aileen married in England on December 16, 1962. Their firstborn, Roxanne, arrived shortly thereafter, bringing immense joy into their lives. Tragically, she passed away at just six months old. In an act of profound love and reverence, they sent her back to Trinidad to rest, ensuring that she would forever remain close to home.
With grief still fresh, the couple immigrated to the United States in the early 1960s, arriving in New York City with little more than ten dollars and an unshakable determination to build a new life. They settled in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, before purchasing their first home on East 53rd Street. It was there that their family grew, blessed with four more children: Giselle, Simone, Ronald, and Danielle.
Val and Aileen’s home was always alive with conversation, laughter, and the rich aroma of home-cooked meals. His love of food was legendary—whether it was debating the perfect spice blend or preparing meals for a table filled with family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Lively debates on religion and academia were common, as was the echo of joyous laughter.
A devout Chelsea football fan, Val delighted in soccer matches, cricket games, Westerns with “plenty of action,” and cooking shows. But above all, he was a man of discipline and principle. His favorite Bible verse, II Thessalonians 3:10—“If a man will not work, he shall not eat”—was not just a quote but a way of life.
The Machinist’s Journey: Work, Discipline, and Devotion
For over three decades, Val worked the third shift in the train yards of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. His job was to repair, rebuild, and maintain the massive engines that kept the city’s transit system moving. It was a role that required technical mastery, patience, and an unrelenting commitment to excellence.
Yet, his work ethic did not stop at the MTA. After clocking out at 6:00 a.m., he would meet his running club at Marine Park in Brooklyn. Even into his later years, he maintained the discipline of daily exercise. Among his closest friends in the running club were Don, Holness, Tony Donnawa, Lennox, Mr. Brooks, and Hugh Farina.
Retirement was not a call to rest but a second act. He and Aileen relocated to Harlingen, Texas, drawn to the palm trees and warmth reminiscent of Trinidad. There, he delved into real estate, renovating and managing properties across the Rio Grande Valley. Always industrious, always learning, always building.
His faith remained an unwavering constant. St. Anthony Catholic Church in Harlingen became his spiritual home. He embraced a life of service, offering help to family, friends, and strangers alike. His kindness was never performative—it was simply who he was.
A Legacy of Strength and Love
Valmond Corbie’s life was defined not just by the work he did but by the people he loved and the values he instilled. He taught his children and grandchildren the virtues of hard work, responsibility, and faith. He saw each of them as individuals, guiding them with wisdom rather than force, understanding that true discipline comes from within.
His wife, Aileen, remained the anchor of his life, their bond unshaken through decades of triumph and hardship. Their children—Giselle (Dwayne), Simone, Ronald (Bernadette), and Danielle—carry forth his legacy of resilience and perseverance. His grandchildren—Akil, Noble, Ajani, Aydan, Mosi, Asha, Lauren, Micah, and Triston—will forever have his stories, his lessons, and his spirit as their inheritance.
On June 5, 2022, just a day after his 93rd birthday, Valmond Corbie’s journey came to a peaceful close. He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter Roxanne, as well as his siblings Merle, Sheila, Frank, Deanna, and Ollie.
His final lesson to his children and grandchildren was a simple but profound truth: “If you have children, be there for them.”
Val was a man of precision and strength, of faith and unwavering devotion. His legacy is built into the ships and trains he repaired, the homes he nurtured, and the generations he shaped. He lived not for applause but for purpose, leaving behind a world made better by his presence.
As he would say, all work is not exercise, but all exercise is work. And in that work—of family, of faith, of craftsmanship—he found the true measure of a life well-lived.
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