Clarence Constantine Corbin was in his 95th year when he passed away on Good Friday, April 2. The essence of the many moving tributes paid him at his homegoing service at St. Paul AME Church, Hamilton, was that he was a gentleman of the first order and a scholar.

He was an outstanding churchman, and while ordinarily socially prominent, Clarence Corbin was a rather reserved superstar in that peculiar period of Bermuda's chequered racist history when prowess in the field of sports particularly cricket, soccer and tennis translated into eminence in other areas. Tennis was his forte.

To top it all, he took as his bride one of the most radiant ladies of the day, the former Doris Heyliger, who during their nearly 70 years of marriage, became an icon in her own right as Minister of Music for many years at St. Paul AME Church, the cathedral of African Methodism in Bermuda.

She was Director of the famous 150-strong Fordham Chorus. And when she retired as a teacher in the Island's school system, Mrs. Corbin devoted much of her time and talent in the Bermuda Business and Professional Association (BPWA).

Mr. Corbin was a gentleman farmer. At his funeral, his son George related how for years his father diligently cultivated the ground around the family homestead in Cemetery Road, Pembroke, and shared his abundant harvest of vegetables and fruits with family, friends and neighbours.

George, who is now retired af-ter having carved out a highly successful career in the insurance field in California as an insurance executive, came home to deliver the obituary. He spoke feelingly of his father as being "thoughtful of others, generous to those in need and always had kind words for everyone. As husband to Doris and father to George, Canty and Michael, he was ever wise, loving and solid. Although many other family members lived outside Bermuda, it was always a joyous time when they were together."

Other family who came home and paid tribute at the funeral were his nieces Lynette Corbin Brown, who resides in Las Vegas; Helen Foster, wife of former New York City Councillor the Rev. Thomas Wendell Foster and the Fosters' daughters, Rebecca and Dianne. Dianne, incidentally a political activist and community leader like her father, is currently a member of the New York City Council.

Others paying tribute to Mr. Corbin were Rev. Foster; the Manager of the Bermuda Press, Ltd., Paget Wharton; and Alan Simmons, emeritus president of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association.

Clarence Constantine Corbin, son of the late George and Helen, was born in the Bronx, New York on September 7, 1915. Growing up in Bermuda, he attended the one-room neighbourhood school of Mrs. Alice Paynter in Flatts. Later, he attended the Berkeley Institute where he excelled.

Apart from his gardening and interest in dentistry, Clarence had developed a love for music, in particular sacred music. Once he joined the St. Paul AME church choir, his beautiful smooth tenor voice with velvet tones was noted as exceptional. It led to a storybook like romance and marriage to fellow chorister, and the rest is history

After completing his studies at the Berkeley Institute, Clarence won a coveted technical scholarship to study dentistry at London University, England. However, the Second World War and his father's illness resulted in his return to Bermuda. He was employed by the Bermuda Press where he stayed until retirement. During this time, he augmented his income as a proofreader at The Royal Gazette.

As the senior choir continued to build its repertoire of music, Doris played a key role as organist and director while Clarence remained one of the leading tenors. One Sunday morning, his solo of "Yes Jesus Loves Me" moved the congregation to such an extent that he was given a standing ovation. Clarence was also a part of other singing groups which performed throughout the island. He often sang duets with Morris Wilson and Violet Lambert, both now deceased.

Clarence served on the Pembroke Parish council for many years. He was also a member of the St. Paul Trustee Board under the administration of several pastors. He was valued for his calm demeanour and wise counsel.

Clarence's other enduring love affair was with Tennis, and spanned decades – the 40s, 50s and 60s. Mr. Alan Simmons spoke of how during the heyday of local tennis that Clarence and fellow enthusiasts (like Alexander Romeo, the Dismont brothers Cecil and Russell, Cressy Swan and Leslie Lynch, to name a few) honed their skills at local clay court clubs like Unity in Happy Valley, Rainbow in Pembroke, and Raynor's in Southampton, all under the umbrella of the Somers Isle Lawn Tennis Association (SILTA).

SILTA was the designation given black tennis enthusiasts, to distinguish them from the whites who arrogated to themselves the national title, Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association. The BLTA had year-round access to the government owned Bermuda Tennis Stadium that was reserved tourists and whites only, except during the November 11th Armistice Day weekend when SILTA was allowed to hold its tournaments. Clarence was an instrumental force behind the late W.E.R. Joell, after whom the Tennis Stadium is now named because of his role in desegregating the facility.

Clarence and other SILTA members relished their annual summer forays to ATA (American Tennis Association) tournaments in Hampton, Virginia, and other East Coast destinations. His game thrived, and indeed in 1952 when the SILTA brought trailblazing tennis phenomenon Althea Gibson to Bermuda, Clarence, along with Russell Dismont, was chosen to play her in exhibition matches at the Tennis Stadium.

He won several titles, and amassed a treasure trove of real silver cups to attest, as well as a few plastic and tin ones too. He was said to be lithe and quick on the clay, and relentless at pressuring his opponent into a weak response, whereupon he would invariably unleash his patented top spin forehand to send the ball sizzling for a winner!

As son George told the overflow congregation at his funeral, "The gardener of 'Nibroc' (the name of the family home spelt backwards) has now put away all of his tools. His work is done and God has called him home.

Following his committal at the St. John Pembroke Church graveyard, which is merely yards away from "Nibroc", the St. Paul Choir broke out in a spontaneous rendition of the old Negro spiritual, "There's Plenty of Room in God's Heaven". The choir had led the spirited singing at the church and formed an honour guard as the cortège left the church for the grave.