Corey said there is nothing special about him and that he just enjoys helping people. But in reality, Corey serves as a perfect match to the town he lives in.

In 1951, Corey married his late wife Rogene, who died of cancer in 1988. He was lonely and realized what it was like to be without a family. But when he married his current wife Jane in 2003, he fell in love all over again.

“There was a period of time when I wasn’t happy,” Corey said. “Sure, I loved my business, but it doesn’t put its arms around you and love you unconditionally.”

When Corey married Jane, who has two daughters (Brenda and Susan) with children of their own, he knew that he would never forget how special family is.

Through most of his life, there was always one of his favorite hobbies that brought him joy: collecting carousel animals.

Corey’s interest in carousel animals began in high school when his father, Preston, was the concession manager for the county fair for many years. He became good friends with the man in charge of the amusement rides, and Corey’s dad knew he wanted to buy a carousel horse.

When Corey married Rogene, his mother was more than happy to give them the horse to keep in their house, and Corey took on the challenge of creating his own collection. When Rogene had a feeling that carousel animals would become a hot commodity, Corey decided to pursue the hobby further, and at one point, he owned over 50 of them.

“When Rogene was sick, I think she sensed that this was something to keep her mind off of things,” Corey said. “When she passed I continued to buy the ones that she had liked for a period of time.”

While Corey loved collecting the animals, searching for them is what he loved most. Corey sold most of his animals but still has two of his favorite horses in his home today.

It was something special that he shared with his father, but it wasn’t the only thing that Corey shared with the man that taught him “everything.”

In 1933, his father founded the Corey Oil Co., which would go on to become a successful business for many decades. After living in Youngstown for about three years of his life, Corey’s family moved to Columbiana, a city his father would call God’s country.

“Ever since I moved here, I’ve known that I live in a brilliant city,” Corey said. “This community is exactly where I want to be.”

After working by his father’s side for years, Corey took over the company in the early 1970s before his father passed away in 1975. He loved his company, and even though it wasn’t a long-term answer to his happiness, it filled a big void in his life for a long time. Corey said he is very proud of his company, and his ability to be a successful businessman allowed him to take care of his loved ones.

Along with spending time with his family, running the oil company and collecting carousel animals, Corey showed ponies with his brother Bob, was on the park board for nine years, and was a member of city council for four years.

“I enjoyed my time serving the city,” Corey said. “A lot of people take stuff for granted, so when I saw what was going on in the background, I was amazed to see what goes into making this town function.”

Corey has given back to the community his entire life. After turning 90 in November, he has taken a step back to evaluate what is most important to him: family.

“So many people have regrets, but I feel so fortunate and happy every day of my life,” Corey said. “I’ve got so many memories and so many people that have helped me. I have had a life beyond imagination.”

slendak@mojonews.com