Corrine O. Supplee

Corrine Supplee lived a long, full and glamorous life. Born March 8, 1924, in Sioux City, Iowa, Corrine was the "middle sister," flanked by older sister Elaine and younger sister Shirley. Propped on her Dad's shoulders at age 3, she was awed by the sight of Charles Lindbergh during a parade to celebrate the first solo transatlantic flight. "Lucky Lindy" inspired Corrine's lifetime fascination with travel.

At 21, Corrine rode the train to Kansas City, where she was interviewed and selected by Trans World Airlines as an air hostess. She always said that air travel was much, much more civilized in those days – hostesses were even required to memorize every passenger's name! She loved flying and sometimes met celebrities such as Frank Sinatra. Between flights Corrine enjoyed life with her three TWA roommates as they moved from North Hollywood to Chicago to New York.

In 1948 she met Ted Supplee, a TWA radio officer, during a plane change in Paris. Ted was based in Cairo while Corrine was based in New York. It's rumored that their first date involved dancing on the table in a Parisian nightclub. Ted quickly requested a transfer to New York and they became "a real item."

Ted and Corrine were married in Sioux City on May 9, 1949. As a married woman, Corrine became a "Clipped Winger," as TWA then prohibited married hostesses. She took a job writing for Farm Journal Magazine in Philadelphia. Ted didn't want to fly without Corrine, so he took a job with a Philadelphia insurance company. Things changed quickly when he first tasted Dairy Queen on a visit to Corrine's parents in Sioux City. Ted and Corrine opened a small DQ store and then purchased the first Pennsylvania franchise.

Ted and Corrine's first daughter, Kate, was born on Christmas Eve, 1952. When Ted and Corrine flew their small Cessna plane to Cuba in 1956, Corrine was eight months pregnant with their second daughter, Pat. For a while, Corrine stayed home with Pat and Kate while Ted often traveled throughout the franchise district. Pat and Kate fondly remember the then-exotic TV dinners Corrine cooked up the nights Ted was out of town. Now the daughters appreciate all the excellent, healthy cuisine Corrine dished up the rest of the time! The Supplees maintained an extensive vegetable garden and a small orchard, which provided fresh produce many months of the year.

Always interested in art, Corrine was thrilled to be invited to study at the highly esteemed Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. She painted extensively in oils and watercolors. Later she worked at an employment office, where she took a special interest in placing the "unemployable" during a time before anti-discrimination laws were followed.

At 60, Corrine started a new business, Rainbow Custom Tours. She began by offering escorted day trips from southeast Pennsylvania to New York art museums and Broadway shows. With her good friend, Pat Redmond, she soon expanded the business to include tours of Great Britain, France, Scandinavia and Alaska.

Corrine was a gracious and caring hostess. Whether a bridge party, a dinner or a two-week visit, the Supplees loved entertaining friends and family at their homes in Pennsylvania, Ocean City, and the Florida Keys. They enjoyed many beautiful early mornings hot air ballooning in Ted's airship, "the Rainbow," as well weeks spent traveling with friends. Some favorite trips included hiking in the Alps, sailing in the Caribbean and exploring Scandinavian fiords.

Though there were some difficult days, for the most part Corrine lived a very full and happy life. We admire her tremendous courage, grace and beauty, and we all will miss her greatly!

A graveside service will be held at Missoula City Cemetery at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, followed by a life celebration beginning at 5 p.m. at the Supplee-Hamma residence.
Read Corrine Supplee's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.