Obituaries : Henry Paul Cornish; Popular Baseball Coach

Henry Paul Cornish, a longtime Ventura County resident and popular baseball coach, has died at the age of 53.

He died Thursday after a long illness.

Cornish spent his youth in South Carolina, where he was born on July 29, 1942.

After graduating from high school, he went to South Carolina State College, where he studied mathematics and played for the school’s football team.

Soon after, he joined the Navy. He was stationed in Florida and Antigua, West Indies, where he met his wife, Gloria.

He returned to college when he was discharged four years later.

In 1967, Cornish moved to California to be closer to his wife’s relatives. The couple settled in Oxnard, and Cornish began working with computers at the Point Mugu Naval base.

In 1979, he moved to Somis.

Cornish eventually returned to school at La Verne University and recently was promoted to computer engineer at Point Mugu.

In his spare time, Cornish coached several community football and baseball teams. For 12 years, he coached the Camarillo All-Star baseball teams. He also coached the Road Runner “Pop Warner” football teams at Somis Elementary School and the Somis Little League, said his daughter, Michelle.

“He had us playing sports since we were 7 or 8,” she said. “He has always been involved in sports.”

Cornish also enjoyed playing tennis and golf, and he often helped friends with their computers.

Cornish is survived by his former wife, Gloria, of San Jose; daughter Michelle of Antigua, West Indies; two sons, Desmond of Oxnard and Timothy of Somis; five brothers, Douglas “D.C.” of Hampton, Va., Lonnie of Camarillo, James of South Carolina, Oscar of Columbia, S.C., and Alonzo of Savannah, Ga.; and a sister, Deborah of South Carolina.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Pierce Bros. Griffin Mortuary in Camarillo. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the New Harvest Christian Fellowship in Oxnard with Pastor Daniel Zendejas officiating. Burial will take place in South Carolina.

Memorial donations can be made to the New Harvest Christian Fellowship in Oxnard.