Barney Hamilton Corbin Jr.

Barney Hamilton Corbin Jr., age 86, peacefully passed away at home with his wife and dogs in Livingston, Texas on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

Born on October 6, 1939, to Barney Corbin Sr. and Ann (Lillian) McNicholas in Melbourne, Florida, Barney loved life and adventure. From early on he loved sand, sun and the sea, surfing off the Melbourne coast, diving Sebastian Inlet and cruising the Indian River. Barney graduated from Melbourne High School in 1957 where he lettered in both football and track.

He joined the Army in 1958 and was stationed in Germany for 11 months before being transferred to the Army Reserve upon return to the states. He was honorably discharged in 1963 and continued his service in the Florida National Guard until 1968, retiring as a Second Lieutenant. While in the reserves and the Guard, he returned to Cape Canaveral to begin his distinguished career supporting NASA. Barney spent 40 years at NASA, working at Kennedy Space Center, Johnson Space Center and Ames Research Center. He was there when President John F. Kennedy welcomed the Apollo crew back to Earth, on the desert floor in California to welcome returning Shuttle crews, on the KC-135 parabolic aircraft documenting microgravity training and research, and leading the International Space Station into the digital photographic era. He purchased the first digital cameras for NASA and their Russian counterparts. Barney retired from NASA in 2001.

Barney loved skydiving with his friends and completed over 3000 jumps. Throughout the 70s, 80’s and 90’s Barney took to the skies, earning his Associates in Aeronautics from San Jacinto Community College in Pasadena, earning instructor ratings in single and multi-engine aircraft, sea plane and instrument flying, while continuing to jump out of planes! He completed his last jump in 1991 above the skies of Gilroy California and his last flight in the cockpit in 1993 in the Moffett Field Flying Club.

Barney and his wife, Barbara shared many adventures. Together they competed in powerlifting, rode their horses, motorcycles and jet skis, enjoyed his 1978 Corvette and became licensed captains of their 1989 Chris Craft Catalina! They became certified scuba divers in 1991 off the coast of California and continued their scuba education upon their return to Houston. Barney completed multiple open water, advanced and technical diving certifications, including cavern, cave and re-breather diving, as well as becoming an open water instructor and a certified scuba equipment repair technician. Barney operated his scuba repair business, C-Views, from 2001-2023. He and his wife enjoyed diving together in California, Hawaii, Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Jamacia, the Cayman Islands, Australia and local Houston lakes and quarries.

Barney is preceded in death by his parents Barney Sr. and Lillian Mathews, his brother John “Jack”, his daughter Bernadette, and too many dogs to list.

Barney is survived by his wife Barbara, Children - Kimberly Tomasi of Boise ID, Rebecca Scardino and her husband Thomas of Milledgeville GA, Barney III and his wife Susan of Orofino ID, Andre and his wife Tracy of Tyler TX, Shawn of Austin, TX, Kevin and Terry of Livingston, his stepson Ryan Clark of Houston, numerous grandchildren, great-grand children and his dogs Misha and Mylo.

A memorial service will be held at Houston National Cemetery, Houston Texas on July 2, 2026 at 2:30pm, followed by a celebration of life. Barney will end his Earthly adventure where he began in Florida, scattered from an airplane over the crystal clear Atlantic waters.