Cleon Leroy Cornes, M.D.

 Born in Johnstown, PA to the late Clarence E. Cornes & Ila Fay (Wingard) Cornes, Cleon is survived by his loving wife of 67 years Vera Jane (McGee) Cornes, daughters Catherine (Neal) Marion of Georgetown, TX and Carolyn (Jon) Pollack of Charlotte, NC, brother Clarence “Butch” Cornes Jr. of Frederick, MD, Granddaughter Lindsay (Adam) Henry, Grandson Michael (Mary Grace) Hartman, two great grandsons and many nieces and nephews. Cle (as he was known to all his friends) was a proud Eagle Scout who graduated with honors from Kane, PA High School. His love of music led him to play a variety of instruments in his lifetime, participate in the high school marching band, sing in the Pitt Glee Club, as well as his church and Providence Point choirs as well as a quartet that sang on special occasions at the church and at Providence Point. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine in 1959 and served as a Medical Officer in the U.S. Army from 1960-62 in Hanau, Germany. After returning to the U.S. he completed his residency training in Psychiatry and was appointed to the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine & Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. He worked in his field for 39 years involved in clinical care, teaching and research, primarily regarding patients with schizophrenia and depression. He traveled extensively in the U.S. and Germany training other mental health practitioners in IPT (interpersonal therapy), which he and a colleague developed together. He and Vera Jane met in college at the University of Pittsburgh and married in 1958. During their military service in Germany they got the “travel bug” and pursued that passion as often as they could, visiting many of the United States and countries around the world, including Canada, Iceland and even the U.S.S.R. One of their favorite repeat trips was to the U.K. with many friends and family members as travel companions. They also cruised from London to New York aboard the new Queen Mary II. For most of their married life, Cle and Vera Jane lived in Mt. Lebanon, where they raised their daughters and chose to retire in 2001. They moved from their home of 40 years into Providence Point in 2009. As a life-long learner himself, Cle followed his love of teaching into retirement, becoming a lecturer for the older adults program called OSHER. He taught many popular lecture series on famous eccentrics and musicians over the years at Carnegie Mellon, Mt. Lebanon Public Library and at Providence Point. Cle and Vera Jane were very active at both their churches, First UMC in Shadyside and Mt. Lebanon UMC, as well as at Providence Point serving on committees, playing bocce, corn hole and pool, going for walks, sharing their love of books, music and crossword puzzles and making lots of new friends. They continued traveling for many years with their friends, as well as visiting children and grandchildren in North Carolina and Texas. A celebration of life will be held Saturday November 22nd at 1:00p.m. in the Providence Point Chapel, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church.