Fred Miller McCorkle, Jr.

Fred Miller McCorkle, Jr., of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, died on January 21, 2022, in Bay City, Michigan.

Fred was born on September 18, 1945, in Shelby, Mississippi, to Lilah Marie Maxwell McCorkle (longtime sixth-grade teacher at Drew Elementary School)  and Fred McCorkle, Sr.  He grew up in Drew and graduated in 1963 from Drew High School, where he was on the Deltaneer staff and in Hi-Y and Beta Club.  He worked part-time at the DEN, Maxwell Cleaners, and the post office, where he delivered postage due letters.  Photography, raising tropical fish, hunting, and fishing were his lifelong interests. 

After graduating from Delta State College in 1967, Fred received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Mississippi State University in biology and immunology, and was later on the faculty of Oregon Health Sciences University and North Carolina State.  He became Professor of Biology at Central Michigan University, where he was a renowned teacher, advisor to pre-medical students, and mentor to graduate students in biology and immunology  for many years.     His research resulted in publication of numerous scientific papers with important applications for immunology and the development of vaccines.

Fred’s cousins included Ann Maxwell, Lamar Maxwell, Courtney Petty, Jerry Maxwell, Nancy Jackson, Sammy Maxwell, and the late Calico Maxwell Perry.  Among special friends were  Jerry Garber and Liz Barz. 

Fred will be interred in the Drew Cemetery next to his parents, 11:00 AM Thursday,  April 28, 2022.