Longtime Malibu resident Frederick Douglas Cornett died on March 10, 2017, leaving behind his four children: Deborah, Jennifer, David and Peter.
Fred was born in Pasadena, Calif., on July 23, 1924, the son of Dr. William Frederick Cornett and Helen Otelia Tappe, and raised in Altadena. While at Pasadena High School, he marched twice in the Rose Bowl Parade playing clarinet. He was an Eagle Scout, a fact that deeply influenced his philosophy and life of service to others.
During WWII, he enlisted in the armed forces. He became part of the Intelligence Corps, learned Japanese and served in Japan as an interpreter in the U.S. Army during the occupation after the war, ranking as Staff Sargent. He was honorably discharged in 1947 and returned to Southern California. Under the G.I. Bill, he attended UCLA where he met Constance Mary Marshall. He finished his Bachelor of Arts degree, got married and began raising his family in Pacific Palisades, bringing two daughters into the world.
Fred taught physiology for 37 years at Santa Monica High School. He served as department chair and was coauthor of the textbook Modern Human Physiology, used in most secondary and nursing schools up until the 1980s. He was also a popular driver’s training instructor and taught, at his own risk, many how to drive responsibly through the streets of Santa Monica. He served on the faculty of Santa Monica College teaching biology in the evenings at the extension program on Malibu Park Junior High School campus.
He was a resident of Malibu from 1954, the first to settle on Las Flores Mesa. During these early years he attended Cal State, Los Angeles, earning his Master’s degree in Education and Leadership. The Cornett family continued to grow with the birth of David and Peter. He raised his family, saw all four children married, and was himself married to Connie for 67 years. He was a longstanding member of the Rotary Club and served as treasurer for many years. He loved sailing and was proud of being Commodore of the Santa Monica Yacht Club in 1984 — his license plate read SMYC1984.
The memorial service was held Saturday, April 1, at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 28211 Pacific Coast Highway at 11 a.m.