DON HOUSE 2010-1931

 Longtime Corbin baseball supporter Don House has passed away. House, 79, was a member of the Corbin Varsity Club, an inductee in the Corbin Hall of Fame, a former assistant baseball coach of the Redhounds as well as an avid fan of all sports.

However, he was best known for his pitching and his play in the early days of Laurel County baseball. House played baseball and basketball for the London High School Tigers where he graduated from in 1949.

He went on to Sue Bennett Junior College and pitched for the Dragons. He transferred to Berea College then went on to the University of Kentucky his senior season.

He was picked up by the Cincinnati Reds organization in the early 50’s and played in Arizona for a couple of years.

He brought his love for sports and his leadership to the Corbin community where he worked for many years with the Corbin Little League program. He opened what is now One-Hour Cleaners the day after Labor Day in 1962. He retired and sold the business to his son, Joe in 1996. “But, he still worked every day for the next three or four years,” Joe House said.

“He started working with Corbin High School baseball in the mid 60s,” said House.

He spent many years working with the Redhound boosters and they honored him in 1994 with House Field, the current home for Corbin baseball.

“He has been one of our high school supporters for years,” said Corbin Assistant Principal Randal Sawyers. “He has probably touched hundred’s of young boys in Little League and Senior League.”

“He was my assistant coach for about 15 years until his wife got sick,” Sawyers said. “He had to pull back after that.”

“He loved baseball and has been helping pitchers in all these leagues for many years,” added Sawyers. “He was my pitching coach for all those years.”

“He was the main reason we have Don House Field. He got everyone together, got Casey Karr and the board members involved. He was the driving force that got our field,” Sawyers said.

“He was the head of our booster club,” said Sawyers. “He raised money for batting cages and other equipment. He helped out young men who couldn’t afford to do fund raising for our Florida trips and stuff like that.”

“He was just a gentleman,” Sawyers said. “He was always around helping a coach with pitching or whatever needed to be done.”

“He was a big supporter of all sports,” Sawyers said. “He cleaned football and basketball uniforms for many years at the cleaners. He always contributed to all the programs. He was a good booster for all Corbin athletics.”

Current Corbin baseball coach Rob Ledington said. “He is one of the best human beings that ever walked the face of the earth. I think Don House epitomizes everything that is good about the human race. It goes beyond baseball to me.”

“As long as there is a baseball program at Corbin High School, he will have his stamp on it.” Ledington said. “He is the kind of human being that sacrificed his own self for the good of others.”

“There is going to be players, coaches that will come and go at Corbin, but he has done as much for kids in this area as anybody I know,” said Ledington. “He was one of the most humble human beings I have ever met.”

“A man like Don House never dies really. There is going to be tons of kids that will come through this program the next 25, 50, 100 years and they are going to get to reap the rewards of his efforts,” Ledington said.

“You look at our baseball facility, it is one of the nicest in the state of Kentucky,” he added. “Don didn’t do it alone, but he was one of the great ones to be involved in that.”

“It’s a huge loss for our community, but like I said his spirit will go on forever,” Ledington said.