Corbin City Commissioner diagnosed with cancer; expects full recovery

Ed Tye

The longest serving member of the Corbin City Commissioner has been diagnosed with early-stage esophageal cancer and will undergo surgery to have it removed on Sept. 11.

Ed Tye, 75, who is serving his 20th year on the five-member Board of Commissioners said Tuesday that the cancer was discovered by a local physician during a routine checkup.

“I feel as good as I ever have,” said Tye Tuesday. “I feel great. It was something that was discovered during and annual checkup.”

Tye said doctors discovered pre-cancerous cells in his esophagus roughly a decade ago and have been monitoring them since. A biopsy this time around showed cancer in its very early stages. Because of that, Tye and his doctors are all confident of a positive outcome.

“They found it early. I’m not going to have to have any radiation or chemotherapy before the surgery,” he said. “The prognosis is that everything will be fine. It will mean a few changes to my lifestyle, but I think it’s something I can manage.”

Tye will undergo a procedure at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington to remove a portion of his esophagus. His stomach will then be reshaped to replace the missing portion. He said the surgery would mean he would have to eat more often in smaller amounts.

“It will be a little bit of a learning process,” Tye said.

Tye is expecting he will miss about a month of his duties at city hall, but hopes to be back in action in time for the commission’s regular monthly meeting in October.

Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney said Tye’s presence at city hall would be missed because he brings a wealth of wisdom and contemplative common sense to the table.

“Ed is a kind of low key guy who is very rational. He thinks stuff out thoroughly before he makes a decision. I really respect that about him,” McBurney said. “He’s got a lot of experience in city government. If Ed is gone for any length of time, I can assure you he will be missed.”

Corbin City Commissioner Joe Shelton, who has served with Tye longer than anyone on the board, said he considers him a true friend and an integral part of the commission.

“He’s been a wonderful friend to me. Ed cares a lot about Corbin, and it’s been a truly great experience getting to know him on the commission,” Shelton said. “That’s the great thing about being elected to something like this, you will meet people you would never probably be around otherwise. Ed’s just a truly great guy. Everybody is praying for him to recover quickly. We’ll miss his very thoughtful input while he’s gone.”

Tye has served two stints on the City Commissioner — a 15-year run from 1990 to 2005. He won election to the board again and assumed office for a second time five years ago. His current term ends at the end of 2016.

Tye is a member of the commission’s budget committee. During his time in office he is likely best known as the intellectual father of the Corbin Creek Walk project — a half-mile stretch that extends from Barbourville Street near the Corbin Recreation Center all the way to the Engineer Street Bridge. He strongly advocated for the project, even when it met with delays and some unpopularity. Today it stands as one of the most popular and enduring public works projects in the city. The scenic walkway includes landscaping structures, benches, decorative lighting and water fountains.

Tye said he is optimistic treatment for his cancer will be successful.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to work as soon as possible,” he said.