Corine Lynn Aiken died unexpectedly, May 4, 2021, in Puyallup, Wash. She was born Feb. 25, 1950, in Frankfurt, Germany, to Richard and Carmen Aiken. Corine grew up in Germany, Florida, Omaha, and Seattle, while her father served in the United States Army. After he retired, the family settled in Puyallup where she graduated from Puyallup High School in 1968. She attended the University of Washington (UW) and graduated from University of Puget Sound with an MBA. After college, she taught at Fort Steilacoom (Pierce) and Tacoma Community Colleges.
While living in Portland and San Francisco, Corine worked as a paralegal and in Novato, Calif., she volunteered with the local Friends of the Library and the Humane Society. Corine returned to Washington and graduated from the University of Washington in 2000, with a MA in Library and Information Science. She worked for the Timberland Library System and was Library Manager and instrumental in building the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Library. Active in the Centralia community, she served as past president of the Board of Discover! Children’s Museum and was a member of St Helen's Club in Chehalis, a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary, and a contributing member of CCRT - Chehalis Community Renaissance Team.
Corine will be remembered for her intelligence, passion, grace, friendship, and service to others.
She is survived by her son, Mathew D. Aiken; former husband and friend, Jeff Burrus; former husband, Bill Moehler; stepdaughter, Jennifer Burrus; and stepson, Doug Burrus; granddaughters, Shelby Burrus and Madison Burrus; half-sister, Carole Martucci; and half-brother, Richard Aiken; her sisters-of-the-heart, Marilynn Chintella, Corene Jones Litteer, and Gerda Hunter; and many friends.
Corine was preceded in death by her father, Richard S. Aiken; and her mother, Carmen M. Aiken.
A memorial gathering will be held once Covid restrictions safely allow. Donations may be made in Corine’s memory to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, or the Chehalis Vernetta Smith Branch of the Timberland Regional Library. Arrangements are by Hill’s Funeral Home at hillfhpuyallup.com, where there are photos of Corine, an obituary, and an invitation to send a message to her family.
