Dr. William Lewis Corporon, 69, was taking his grandson Reat Underwood, 14, to a singing audition at the Jewish Community Center when both were fatally shot Sunday afternoon.
Corporon and his wife of 49 years, Melinda, moved to Johnson County, Kan., in 2003 to be closer to his family. Before that, he practiced family medicine in Oklahoma for more than 25 years. He continued to see patients in the Kansas City area.
Corporon graduated from the University of Oklahoma’s medical program in 1972. Family said he was a lifelong supporter of the Sooners and an avid hunter.
“He cherished his family, and more than anything had a passion for caring for others,” his family said in a statement.
His son, Will Corporon, said the shooter brought the family to their knees but they were keeping a positive focus.
“Our goal is to shine the light on my father and my nephew, and hopefully, just the senselessness of these kinds of things. There’s no rhyme or reason to it,” said Will Corporon.
Mindy Corporon, Corporon’s daughter and Underwood’s mother, said the family remained strong in its faith.
“I know that God did not do this, and there are evil, evil actions,” Mindy Corporon said. “But what we do have is each other, and we have love and have prayer, and we have friends.”
William Corporon was an active member of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan.
A private memorial service for William Corporon and Reat Underwood will be held at 3 p.m. Friday in the main sanctuary of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe Avenue in Leawood.
