Malcolm J. Corse

Malcolm J. Corse, 89, passed away on Friday, December 30, 2022 at Regal Care in Greenfield.

Born on the family farm in Conway, MA on May 10, 1933 the son of Floyd L. and Gladys E. (McFarland) Corse. He graduated from Arms Academy in 1952 after winning the State Star Dairy Farm Award as an “agi student”.

On May 2, 1954 Malcolm was married to Winona M. (Hathaway) in a ceremony held in Ashfield

As a lifelong proud resident of Conway, he served as an Assessor, Chair of the Board reviewing CPA projects, and member of the Historical Society. He was a member of the United Congregational Church of Conway for over 60 years, having served in the past as a Deacon and as custodian. Throughout his long life he was active in the Tri-County Coon Club, Conway Snowmobile Club, Conway Sportsman’s Club, and President of the Snowmobile Association of Massachusetts.

Malcolm joined the Masons at a New Jersey lodge in 1985 and became Master of the Mountain Lodge in Shelburne Falls in October 2007.  He ultimately become a member of the Jeepster Unit of the Melha Shriners in 2000. He also was involved in the Jesters, Hillbilly and Q Orders. He joined the Mt. Sugarloaf Lodge in 2008 and was a member at the time of his passing.

An internally motivated worker from the age of 7 on the family farm. He stayed on the farm until 1955, shortly after the birth of his first child, when he left to begin a 40-year career in heavy equipment construction, working for a total of 21 different companies. His construction worked commenced with operating a bulldozer, to eventually include other heavy equipment. He loved to share stories about the sections of Route 91 he paved, some with a brand-new Barber Green track paver, having never operated one previously and the challenges of keeping a straight line. Other local work included Bear Swamp and the Northfield Mountain Reservoir Project.

Initially he worked several jobs in MA, CT, VT and NH. In 1979 his work took him farther away from home to locations in Chicago, Pittsburg, New Jersey, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Mongolia and East Germany. His work ethic and experience made it possible for him to advance his positions from bulldozer operator to Mechanic Supervisory Consultant. In Mongolia he trained citizens how to operate a bulldozer and set up new equipment. Both a rewarding and frustrating experience.

He ended his career at Yankee Candle working third shift maintaining the candle-making equipment until 2002.

He was a stubborn, hard-working New England Yankee and was sometimes quoted as saying “Never done anything I didn’t like to do”.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Winona, two daughters; Leslie Brown and her partner Thomas Synnott of Erving, Elizabeth Kelly and her partner Justus Conant of Easthampton, and a son Raymond Corse and his wife Betty Ann of Columbia, TN. He also leaves grandchildren Sara Gibbons (Frank), Jason Brown (Aya), Alex Boczanowski (Jenn), Zoe Cotter and Caitlyn Corse as well as great grandchildren Quinn and Xavier Gibbons, and Azalea and Atlas Boczanowski.

Malcolm’s family deeply appreciates and thanks the staff at The Arbors of Greenfield, and the staff at Regal Care for providing a safe environment for Malcolm to live.

Visiting hours will be Monday, Jan. 16, from 9:30 to 11:00 am at the Smith-Kelleher Funeral Home, 87 Franklin St., Greenfield. Funeral services will begin at 11:00.

Burial in Howland Cemetery, Conway will be private.

Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, online at www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org  

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