Corinne Yvonne Gante McCarty

Corinne Yvonne Gante McCarty, 61, of Erie, PA, was born on July 27, 1956, in Moline, IL, and concluded her four and a half year battle with ovarian cancer at UPMC Hamot surrounded by her family on August 28, 2017.
Corinne is survived by her husband, Ron McCarty; her daughter Erin McCarty and son-in-law Will Levesque; her son Leitenant Commander Benjamin McCarty and his girlfriend Zahira Aragon; and her son Nathan McCarty and future daughter-in-law Jo Daloisio; her parents, Rev. Marshall and Lois Gante; her sister Barb Lamoreaux and her brothers Jeff, Jon and Jim Gante and their families, and her aunts, Susan Gante and Rebecca Linquist. She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Henry and Audrey Gante, and her parents-in-law, George and Martha McCarty, her brother-in-law, Kirk Kelly, and several aunts and uncles.

As a child, Corinne lived in Moline and Rockport, IL; Garfield, MN; Youngsville, PA; and Charleston, WV, before coming to Erie, where her dad became pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (now Lamb of God Lutheran Church). It was here that she met Ron, first getting to know him as her Sunday School teacher and later serving as his photographic muse. After high school, she attended Golden Valley Lutheran College in Minnesota, where she earned a two-year degree and got engaged. She and Ron married in Erie on September 22, 1979, and returned there to live soon afterward.

Corinne always encouraged her children's passions and filled their lives with fun and laughter, instilling in them an appreciation for everyday beauty and a sense of neighborliness that extended to all. She forged close bonds with her eight nieces and seven nephews, as well as her great-niece and three great-nephews, and became a second mom to many of her children's friends and classmates.

In every part of life, caregiving was Corinne's vocation. She worked with various agencies, including Barber National Institute, Erie Home for Children and Adults, Voices for Independence and Home Instead Senior Care, giving clients the gift of her compassionate presence. She was especially devoted to Matty Dumbeck, who she helped nurture from the age of two onward.

Corinne was active in children's ministry at Messiah Lutheran Church and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, her home congregation for the past 27 years. From teaching Sunday School and running youth retreats to spearheading Christmas pageants and crafting weekly children's sermons, she tirelessly nourished young souls with spiritual enrichment. She also shared her golden singing voice, often eliciting goosebumps with her "Silent Night" descant at the candlelight Christmas Eve service each year.

Her faith served her well in these last few years as she inspired hundreds with her courage and optimism in the face of suffering. She reveled in such simple joys as birdwatching, playing cards, taking nature walks and rides (especially at Presque Isle), eating chocolate ice cream with hot fudge and mint on top, watching sentimental movies and reclining with a pair of cats on her lap. She also enjoyed participating in several programs at the Regional Cancer Center, and she was so grateful to her surgeon, Dr. Akers, and all of the health professionals who gave her such excellent care, especially at the Amherst Infusion Center in Amherst, NY.

Her favorite song was John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulders," and accordingly, she filled the lives of those she met with sunshine.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate her life at the visitation at the Russell C. Schmidt & Son Funeral Home, Inc. 5000 Wattsburg Rd. Erie, PA 16504 on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and are invited to a funeral service the following morning at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church 643 W. 17th St, Erie, PA 16502 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Roswell Park Cancer Institute or Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

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