John Corbani

Haven't checked the boards in a few days and this is sad news to come back to. I was fortunate enough to take a drive with John last summer, after years of spotting him driving around town. The car and the man were just as impressive as anyone would have hoped for, and I was also able to meet his charming wife, who was gracious enough to take a few pics of us. I will treasure that memory, and those pictures.

To those he leaves behind, my sincere condolences. It is a loss for us all, but I am glad John is at peace.

John R.

 

My deepest sympathies are with John's family and friends.
John's wisdom, passion and generosity spoke volumes about the type of man he was and the life he lived.
He also inspired me from more than 3,000 miles away. On more occasions than I can count, I would debate whether to drive the Dino or take another car, and then I would think, "Hell, John drives his car EVERYWHERE!"..........I grabbed the keys to the Dino.
Drive more, live more.
John, you will be missed.

 

Thanks for all the sagas
RIP John

 

Terribly sad news about a man I'd never met, but whose interest and enthusiasm we could all feel. I hope that his family and friends draw what comfort they can from the fact that people all around the world will miss his contributions to a small chat site about an obscure car marque that he palpably cared about.

 

Hi Again! I just wanted to take a moment and thank you very much for your kind words. The family and I are overwhelmed the response of his passing on FerrariChat! Below is the official obituary posted in the Santa Barbara Independant. And remember what John would say to me, "Ferraris are meant to be driven!" Andy Lausten

John Corbani, b. 1935 Islip, NY, died peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer on Feb. 6. John became a Santa Barbara resident after winning a full E.E. scholarship and studying at the RCA Institute in NY, NY. After working as a technician for various repair companies, he worked for Offshore Navigation as a commercial radio operator. Drafted into the Army, he landed an assignment as a Special (atomic) Weapons specialist and rifle team member. He worked for Pan Fax Inc. and as a partner in Marinetics and was a founding partner of Sloan Technology. He designed capital equipment for the thin film industry: thickness monitors, thickness controllers, evaporation sources, EB guns, sputter sources, vacuum systems and system controls as well as the Dektak line of surface profilers. After an early retirement from Sloan, he wrote tutorials and articles for vacuum system related publications. In 1982 he began an on-going relationship with domestic and international companies developing over 100 patents for products in the high-vacuum, healthcare field and served as an expert witness in major patent litigations in Federal Court.

He enjoyed traveling, wind-surfing, sailing, soaring, model gliders, boats and railroading and Italian cars.

He combined his love for golf and Santa Barbara in 1989 with the purchase of Hidden Oaks Clubhouse along with his wife, Candi. Together they hosted international students and established a successful swim club, banquet and wedding facility.

In addition to his wife of 45 years, he is survived by two daughters: Kim Corbani Tevenan and husband Peter and Donna Corbani Reurings and husband Raymond. As the eldest of nine children, he leaves behind his sisters, Loretta Tyson, Mary Corbani, Shirley Lausten, Virginia Fox, Betty Jones, Rose Gray, Susan Jones and brother Paul Corbani as well their spouses and children. He will be missed deeply by all who enjoyed his wry sense of humor, his help with Ferrari repair and his willingness to fix anything that was broken and to come up with a solution to even the craziest problem. As a volunteer teacher and Board Member at Anacapa School, he urged students to maximize their potential. He enjoyed every beautiful day.

A Celebration of his Life for family and friends will be held on Friday, February 13th at Hidden Oaks Clubhouse from 11:45 AM -2 PM. Please call for reservation: 967-5574.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Anacapa School, 814 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara, CA93101.
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I am truly saddened by this news. I always looked forward to reading his posts. To me he embodied what F-car ownership is about.

 

Really sad news. Never met him but did chat with him over a number of Dino probs and was obviously a great guy. Will be missed.

 

wow. im sad. i dont own a ferrari and i dont post here, but i visit often. particularly to read john's posts because i so love the dino and enjoy reading john's post. ive been reading them for 2 years on a regular basis and took note of his obviously sensitive and caring responses to peoples questions.

i noticed in a photo of him last year what i believed to be an oxygen tank and i wondered about his health.

well, tonight i couldnt sleep, and although i have not been on this site in a while due to the winter weather having dampened my car interests, i had an urge to check the site to see if there were any of john's posts that i might read until tired....the first one i saw was his goodbye post in corbini's corner...and i became concerned.

then i saw this, and strangely, it felt like i knew this happened before i logged on. what a feeling. very sad. im an owner of an old porsche and i spend alot of time on the porsche PP forum where there was a man very very similar to john, named warren hall who died of a lung disease last year. like john, he always had an answer and gave that answer in a thoughtful way and who's posts are cherished by all for their knowledge, insight and passion. such men are unfortunately, rare and very special. i never had a single online conversation with john and i most likely will never have the privilege of owning a dino or any ferrari, but john's influence has profoundly effected me for the better and he taught me a lesson without even knowing it..which is to be generous with your spirit and wisdom. may he rest in peace -scoTT

 

That was very nice scoTT. I suspect that like john, you walk it like you talk it. I really appreciated your post.

Best,

PCB

 

My deepest condolences to the family.

We plan to meet in Santa Barbara end of february during my trip in California.

RIP John

Ciao
Alm - France

 

Just logged on

Very shocked

A true gentlemen never met him, but felt I did.
a sad time for all dino owners

Really appreciated the effort he made by sending me pictures of his car, to help assemble mine.
Everytime I drive my dino , John will always be part of it.

RIP

Stephen

 

very, very sad new and my condolences to John's family. Trying to summarize the impact of people like John on our esoteric hobby is extremely difficult. John was one of those fabulous people who (1) understood that the magic of Ferrari goes beneath the gorgeous metal skin and into the engineering, (2) relished this fact and devoured the engineering aspects of vintage Ferrari and (3), had a special gift for sharing these aspects and educating/infecting legions of Ferrari fanatics. There are not many people like this, but they are out there. I am just glad that John was able to touch as many of us as he did thru Ferrarichat. I never met John personally, but feel like I did through years of reading his posts.

rest in peace, John

 

Very sorry to hear of the passing of John Corbani. My thoughts are with his family....RIP John.

 

As I drove back from the Tour de California bike race and was passing through Santa Barbara I could not help to think what a loss we had in the Dino enthusiasts. John Corbani was a great guy willing to help anybody. I personally met him at Bella Italia in San Diego as he drove his Dino down with his wife Candi to support me as I had just finished restoring my Dino and was showing it there. I took him up to my shop as he was really interested in my setup and tools I had. I first made contact with him as I was just beginning to take apart my Dino and posting the pictures on FCHAT. He complimented me on what I was doing but said my photos were crap. I think he said it nicelt though, but that was the translation. He walked me through photo editing software and showed me how I could do a much better job on posting the pictures. I was amazed at the difference, all because someone cared enough to take the time to share his knowledge. I'm glad he lives on in "Corbani's Corner" I'm sure he'll be looking down on us chuckling as we all try to keep our Dino's in running condition often times not having a clue as to what we're doing. My best to family
Jon and Jeff Gunderson

 

Great guy!

 

I'm glad he lives on in "Corbani's Corner" I'm sure he'll be looking down on us chuckling as we all try to keep our Dino's in running condition often times not having a clue as to what we're doing. My best to family
Jon and Jeff Gunderson[/QUOTE]

Jon, Something tells me that you have more than a clue when it comes to the ins and outs of Dino maintenance and repair! Fred

 

So sad. RIP

 

I met John last year at the Bella Italia show in San Diego as I had driven up from LA to see Jon's unveiling of his restored 246. It was great seeing fellow F-Chatters whom I have so much respect for and I am glad I had the opportunity to meet him. I only wish I had more opportunities to see and talk to John.

 

Like most, I never met John and never owned a Dino, but read Dino Saga every week. His love for his car and his passion for life were reflected in every post. When I realized the difference a good photograph can make in the documentation of a restoration, I contacted John and started an email correspondence that lasted for months. He did not care that he did not know me or the car I was working on, he just enjoyed teaching about photography and the challenges it brought. A couple of our discussions became Dino Saga segments. He will be missed and we can all honor his legacy by driving our Ferrari's far and often. Thank you John...

 

I haven't been on this forum for many weeks so I was shocked to hear of John's passing. My deepest sympathy to his family and friends. The numerous postings on this thread are a testament to John's impact on the worldwide Dino community. If you're logged on, John, many thanks for your huge contribution to the Dino body of knowledge. There will never be another like you. As I work on my Dino, I'll be reminded of you forever because of all the neat little tricks and unique fixes you taught me. God bless you.

Bill

 

I never spoke to John but always enjoyed reading his posts. He was one of the guys that makes this site great. I didnt realise he had passed away, and saw it mentioned on another thread. A great loss to the Ferrari community and his family. My condolences.

Adnaan