Corinne Faye Thorsell

Born in Edmonton in 1946, Corinne Faye Thorsell will be remembered as a remarkable woman who was deeply spiritual, optimistic, and intelligent; kind, generous, and warm-hearted. She’s known to many for her beautiful singing voice, and she was also a player of both guitar and piano. Her creativity spanned across many artistic genres, from writing  songs, haiku, and poetry to drawing and painting. She was also a skilled seamstress and knew how to knit and crochet; throughout her life she designed and sewed her own clothes.

Music surrounded Corinne from the very beginning. Both of her parents were musical: her father, Arnold, played saxophone for dances across central Alberta, and her mother, Irene, taught music and played piano for a dancing school.

As a young teenager, Corinne appeared alongside her older brother William in a production of The Mikado. William fondly recalls the rapturous applause her singing received, and also remembers how she would tie up the family telephone for hours each night as the enthusiastic leader of a large and devoted circle of friends.

In high school, Corinne began performing with The Cellar Dwellers, a trio that sang Peter, Paul and Mary covers in coffee houses around the University of Alberta neighbourhood. She was briefly married to one of her bandmates, Barry Cooper, and the group often sang at parties and at the Juanita Lounge for Women at the University of Alberta, where, by then, Corinne studied.

In 1965, Corinne joined the musical theatre group The Jubillaries, frequently playing the romantic lead. Audiences were drawn to her passion and powerful voice, responding with standing ovations. She also starred in The Princess and the Pea alongside Anne Wheeler at the Jubilee Auditorium.

In 1970, the year of the World Expo in Osaka, Corinne spent six months travelling through Japan and Southeast Asia. Fearless and open-hearted, she made friends wherever she went. Locals were captivated by her long blonde hair and by her willingness to pick up her guitar and sing. One of her songs, “Sakura,” which she composed about the cherry blossoms, delighted audiences, especially Japanese students in youth hostels. Years later, she would sing that same song to her granddaughter Sona and to her former daughter-in-law, Marsha.

After returning to Alberta, Corinne married her second husband, Joe Couture. Together they moved to Ontario, where their daughters Joanna and Christa were born, and later lived for several years in Florida. Corinne’s adventurous spirit and her gift for creating community wherever she went were lifelong traits.

Eventually the family returned to Alberta, where Joe and Corinne divorced. During this period, Corinne became the primary caregiver for her mother Irene following an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, while also raising her daughters and working as a psychologist supporting adults with brain injuries. Through these many responsibilities, she remained strong, generous, and confident. Music continued to be a vital part of her life: she played Mary in her daughters’ school nativity plays more than once and recorded an album of her original music titled From the Core. She also maintained a close relationship with her father, who lived in British Columbia. William recalls that he had never seen their father giggle until he witnessed him with his adult daughter Corinne.

After her daughters were grown, Corinne returned to Florida, where she became deeply connected to a spiritual community and later met her third husband, Larry Peterson. Through moves to Tennessee, California, and eventually British Columbia, she continued to deepen her spiritual practice, form close friendships, and explore her creativity through pottery and music.

Corinne ultimately settled in Gibsons, where she became an active member of the Threshold and Inspirito choirs. Despite living far from her grandchildren, she was a devoted grandmother, affectionately called “Beste,” the Norwegian name she cherished and used in honour of her Scandinavian ancestry. When her granddaughter Sona visited Gibsons, or when Corinne travelled to Toronto, they enjoyed special “Beste days,” filled with gentleness, playfulness, and love. From afar, Corinne sent thoughtful cards and gifts, beautifully wrapped and often accompanied by tiny origami birds or handmade art.

In her final years, Corinne sang with the Threshold Choir in hospitals and homes for those nearing the end of life, offering comfort and peace through music. In her own final weeks, this gift was returned to her. She was never alone, surrounded by the loving community she had so generously nurtured during the last, beautiful chapter of her life on the Sunshine Coast.

Corinne was predeceased by her parents, her brother James, and her grandsons Emmett and Ford. She is survived by her brother William, her daughters Joanna and Christa, and her granddaughter Sona.

A Celebration of Life for Corinne will be held on Friday, February 6, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Roberts Creek. For more information, please call or text Mary at 604-731-7245

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