Corey M. Embree, 44

PALM BEACH SHORES, Florida — Corey Michael Embree, 44, of Palm Beach Shores, Florida, passed away unexpectedly on October 4, 2022. He was known throughout his life for his personality, his sense of adventure, and his willingness to serve others.

After graduating from Franklin High School, where he received the award as the most improved graduate, he worked at BJ’s, fitting people for their new glasses. Corey obtained his pilot’s license and enjoyed flying between Laconia and Martha’s Vineyard. At the same time, he became proficient at skydiving. Because of his lifelong love of ocean diving, he travelled to California to attend a commercial diving school in San Pedro. He then worked for a short time for a company that serviced oil platforms and other sites in the Gulf near New Orleans, Louisiana, but a serious accident ended his career in commercial diving.

He came back to his home state of New Hampshire and obtained his real estate license and worked for Century 21 Twin Rivers Realty, owned by his father. His personality won him many satisfied clients. He also obtained his commercial driving license and drove a truck for Waste Management.

Corey then moved to Vero Beach, Florida, where he excelled at many diving courses from “The Eastern Academy of Scuba Instruction.” For the rest of his life he worked in that industry, there in Vero Beach, Key West and West Palm Beach. He was highly regarded for his teaching, strongly emphasizing safety when training many students new to the sport and others to be instructors themselves. It has been said that he knew the secrets the ocean offers. He had a great admiration for soldiers who served their country and taught several wounded warriors for free, in some cases paying for their books and supplies out of his own pocket.

During the Obama presidency the door opened for him to take people to Cuba for diving explorations and tourist shopping. Recently, he worked at Sailfish Marina, going out of his way when assisting boaters to get the right supplies they needed. Corey also accompanied divers on half day diving trips, making sure all their gear worked properly and doing his utmost to keep them out of harm’s way. Several times he had to jump in the water to stop a diver from drowning, once saving a diving instructor who carelessly allowed his tank to run out of air. On occasion he assisted clients who were spearfishing, which added the nerve-wracking job of keeping the sharks away from the speared fish. Fortunately, he suffered only one small bite. This last year he lived in the small town of Palm Beach Shores on Singer Island, 100 yards from Palm Beach Inlet and a couple hundred yards from a public beach on the ocean, where he would often declare to his friends and family, “I’m living the dream.”

Corey was a “living out loud” person, one who goes at life in a big way, moving boldly from one adventure to another at the speed of light. He had many interests and many careers and touched so many lives. He would walk into a room and change the whole atmosphere, bringing laughter into tough situations and light into gloom.

He leaves his heartbroken family: his parents, Doug and Mary Embree; his brother, Rick and his wife Shirley Hemmingson; his sister, LuAnn and her husband Mike Speikers; his sister, Tamra and her husband Dean Pavelich; his brother, Sean and his wife Danielle Embree; many nieces and nephews and their children; his girlfriend, Madison Heffernan; and his beloved English bulldog, Kona. His friends, co-workers, and students have commented on Facebook how sorely he will be missed and how he packed more adventure and experience in his 44 years than most people who live into old age.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the home of Corey’s brother in Belmont, New Hampshire, on Friday, October 28, from 4 to 9 p.m. Please RSVP: dsmgembree@hotmail.com.

A memorial service will be held at Sanbornton Congregational Church in the spring.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation to the Ocean Foundation, the Humane Society, or Habitat for Humanity.