Walter A. Corsano, Jr
Jan 21st, 2025
Walter A. “Sonny” Corsano, Jr. of South Dennis, Cape Cod, passed away on January 21, 2025, at the age of 92.
The son of Walter A. Corsano and Eleanor (Small) Corsano. His mother’s family traces roots back to Samuel Small, an early settler of Cape Cod. He graduated from Stoneham High School, Class of 1950. Walter went on to attend the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, serving on the USTS Charleston and earning a Bachelor of Science in Navigation.
In 1954, Walter enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Stationed stateside in Jacksonville, FL, he completed training in Mine Warfare and was honorably discharged with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.
Walter had the good fortune of marrying two beautiful women, though not at the same time: first to Jeanne Authier of Martha’s Vineyard in 1954 and later to Leigh Brown of New York City in 1975.
Walter had planned to build a career as a young officer in the merchant marine, spending long months sailing to Africa and the Mediterranean, but when he and Jeanne began a family in the 1950s, he found that he could not reconcile his love of the sea with the love of his children. Having to choose, he chose us. He came ashore and followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, establishing a successful career as a land surveyor and civil engineer. Many years later he put back out to sea, and in 1998 he achieved the rank of Second Mate, a milestone that, though late in life, gave him immense pride.
Walter appreciated artistic genius in its many forms. Well-read and with a rich inner life, he adorned his home with memories and meaning, decorating the walls with cherished framed poems, prints, photographs, and quotations.
As a lifelong music lover, Walter embraced everything from opera to mariachi. He spent many evenings in his youth playing flamenco with his brother John, whom he deeply admired for his virtuosity on the guitar.
Walter was a staunch defender of the rights of the common man. He was outspoken about injustices committed anywhere, at home or abroad, and his solidarity only grew with age. When he expressed disappointment in humanity’s failure to live up to his high ideals, it was tempered by his enduring love for the individual people whose lives he touched.
Walter was predeceased by his parents, his brothers John and David, his sister Anne and her son Thomas. He suffered the loss of two children; Paul and Donna. Walter is survived by his brother Richard, and his daughters Janine Corsano of Cape Cod, and Ellen Corsano of Maine; grandchildren Lindsey Miller of Rhode Island, Charles Miller and James Morrison, both of Maine, and Frances Harlow of Sweden; niece Jeanmarie Jacoby of Portugal; nephew Michael Corsano and niece Linda Corsano, both of Norway; as well as cousins Karen, Nick, and Joanne Corsano.
We will always remember Walter’s laugh. A hearty, unabashed expression of pure delight, it conveyed a full-throated, mischievous joy that reminded all who heard it to take pleasure in life’s simple pleasures and foibles.
A celebration of Walter’s life will take place in the coming months, with a spring burial to follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.
The family would like to express infinite gratitude to VNA Hospice of Cape Cod for their exceptional care and unfailing kindness, not only for our father but for ourselves through these past months.