Obituary of Corine L. Aiken

Corine Lynn Aiken died unexpectedly on May 4, 2021 in Puyallup, WA.  She was born on February 25, 1950 in Frankfurt, Germany to Richard and Carmen Aiken.  She grew up in Germany, Florida, Omaha, and Seattle while her father served in the Army.  After he retired, the family settled in Puyallup where Corine 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 para legal and in Novato, CA she volunteered with the local Friends of the Library and the Humane Society.

Corine returned to Washington and graduated from UW 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 a 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 predeceased 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.