If you’d like to send a card or letter to be shared with his family (or just for him and kept unopened if you wish; please note so on the envelope), you can send them here:

Cory & Kaycee
PO BOX 1351
Woodinville, WA 98072-1351

In lieu of any flowers or gifts, you can honor Cory’s memory by donating to these organizations he wanted to support.

The American Lung Association

Hockey Fights Cancer
The American Cancer Society

Cory was diagnosed with lung cancer in September of 2022. We quickly learned that, not only is it the leading cause of cancer death in the US, but it’s also quite prevalent in people without any known risk factors: young (he was 46) non-smokers with no family history or chemical exposure. And it’s on the rise.

Lung cancer is also very, very rarely caught in early stages due to lack of awareness and initiative to screen, which makes it even more deadly. Thankfully, regular screenings are slowly starting to become the norm for people with clear risk factors (who take the initiative to do so). But it’s not even brought up or considered for people like Cory who have “no risk”.

He died just 6 weeks after he was finally diagnosed, from complications caused by the late-stage cancer.

Looking ahead to remission during what would become his one and only chemo treatment, he talked about supporting lung (and other) cancer organizations and trials in any way he could to help fellow and future patients, and how he’d lovingly shout the following advice to anyone who would listen:

1. Check your family history and other risk factors and make sure to take the initiative to get screened for lung cancer if you’re at risk. Give yourself the best opportunity to catch it as soon as possible.

2. Even if you’re not in the “at risk” group, be diligent and advocate for yourself. If you have any symptoms that could be attributed to lung cancer, such as a persistent cough, ask your doctor to also include the simple screening while testing for other things. You likely have allergies or pneumonia and will waste a few minutes on the extra test, or you may catch lung cancer in an early stage with more time to treat and a much better prognosis.

More info about risks and screening can be found at The American Lung Association and The American Cancer Society.