Friends, colleagues remember former Corbin Collector fondly

Though she retired in 1994, former Corbin City Collector Janis Tye’s legacy is still being felt at Corbin City Hall to this day.
Tye, who passed away Sunday, was a city employee for 19 years before retiring in 1994, eight of which were as the City Collector. After her retirement, current City Collector Dorotha Weber was appointed to that position.

Several current city employees recalled the type of person Tye was and two of them spoke with the News Journal Tuesday.
Weber talked openly about the kind of person Tye was as well as the impact her former co-worker had on her life, both personally and professionally.

"I was lucky enough to work with Janis for several years," Weber said. "She was the collector before I was, but even after she left we stayed in contact because she wasn’t only my co-worker, she was my friend. I always knew that if I needed her for anything, whether it was city related or not, if at all possible she would help me out.

"I recently read the book ‘The Five People you Meet in Heaven’," Weber said. "It’s a story of how when you die, you meet the five people that basically altered your life. She was very special and for me, I think Janis would be one of the five people.

"She was one of the best influences I have ever had in my life. She was a special person and she really taught me a lot as far as how to treat people," Weber added. "She kind of taught me to stand up for myself, because when I started this job I was very backward and shy. Sometimes we deal with people who treat us quite bad and try to walk over us, but she taught me that I couldn’t let people walk on me and take advantage of me."

Erin Blount, who is the current City Clerk, also worked with Tye for some time. In addition to what Tye brought to the table personally, Blount said she also had a wealth of knowledge regarding the city of Corbin and basically all things and people inside it.

"She knew everyone because she had lived here all of her life," Blount said. "you could say someone’s name and Janis would know where they lived and anything pertaining to them. She was so knowledgeable, really it was like she was a book of knowledge in front of you, because she knew where everyone lived and who they were related to and so on.

"She passed that on to us and it was so helpful to us as we worked beside her," Blount added.

Weber and Blount said that Tye had a very strong work ethic and there were a few things she left behind that have stuck with both of them, even now.

"She always said to balance (books) every day," both said with a chuckle, almost in unison.

"She was just a good person and she was a friend, not only to the public, but to the employees that she worked with," Blount said. "She was always nice to everyone and was respectful, as well as respected."

Outside of City Hall, Corbin Director of Recreation Marlon Sams said she garnered the same respect she gave while at work.

"I grew up with her children and she was kind of like a neighborhood mom when we were growing up," Sams said. "She was one of those moms that would treat you like she did her own children and you respected her for that.

"A lot of times when we visited, we visited to see her and Charlie (her husband)," Sams added. "They were both very well liked people."

Visitation for Tye was Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at O’Neil Funeral Home in Corbin. Funeral services will be today at 1 p.m. She will be buried at Pine Hill Cemetary.