Obituary of Korey William Harrison

The latest publication of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary contains over 470,000 words, and while new words are added all the time, one word that should be in the next revision is “Koreyfied”… the entry might even look something like this: korey·fied /KAOR-iyˌfīd/ -to repair something in a unique or creative manner; -to be innovative, creative or playful; -to be understanding, caring and thoughtful; -to be there for others; -to smile in a way that makes people smile; -to have met Korey William Harrison The chance to be Koreyfied came to a tragic end on Friday, August 13th when Korey passed away suddenly at the age of 30. Kaite Grant, Korey’s partner, knows that Kayson, 6, and Zander, 5, meant the world to him - he was the kind of dad who was always there; he always welcomed an extra pair of small hands in the shop to help on his latest project. Even if the boy’s only job was to hold the flashlight, he made them feel like they were the most important part contributing to the project’s success. If one of their toys broke, Korey would do his best to fix it - and if it was beyond repair, he would tinker with it until it was properly “Koreyfied” into something new and improved. Korey was committed to being the best dad he could be, and you could see that in how compassionate, patient and understanding he was with them. Kayson and Zander gave Korey the motivation and drive to be a better person and a great dad. Korey probably gained that strong sense of fatherhood from his father and grandfather. Growing up in Strome, he spent countless hours with them on the farm, riding farm equipment and helping out the way all young farm boys do. Maybe that’s where Korey got his innovative nature from, too. Like his dad, uncles and Grandpa Hawkins, Korey enjoyed coming home from an auction with unique finds and treasures that sometimes only he would eventually realize the value. Korey had faced struggles and found peace by recently starting to attend church and he began a personal journal as part of his grounding. These struggles made him fight for his kids and to be the best dad possible. Everything he did was for those boys. Kaite loved Korey for who he was and all that he did - from showing the boys how a piece of paper could glide through the air after just a few folds to the pride he had for a well-manicured lawn - he was passionate about life and he was happiest when he could make others happy. Having the greenest grass in the neighbourhood certainly made him happy, too! Anyone who knew Korey - whether it was for a brief moment or a lifetime - has been Koreyfied; and a little piece of Korey will live on with each and every one of them. While Korey now smiles upon everyone from wherever he is with his maternal grandparents Judy Pelletier, and David Harrison, his memory remains with so many others. Those left to share Korey’s memory include his partner Kaite and boys Kayson and Zander, paternal grandparents Bill and Pricilla Hawkins, step grandparents Emile Pettetier and Carolyn Harrison, his mother Laurie Harrison, father Gerald Hawkins (Susan Carter), siblings Mike (Corene), Brandon (Lynn) and Lexe, as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.