Corey Aaron Lake
ᛉ February 24, 1978 – ᛦ October 9, 2026
Corey Aaron Lake of Dunbar, West Virginia, crossed the Bifröst on his journey to Valhalla at 6:39 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026. He died like a warrior, and he was surrounded by dozens of people who loved him. In the days leading up to his passing, no fewer than 75 people visited Corey in the hospital, a testament to the countless lives he touched and the profound impact he had on those who knew him.
Born on February 24, 1978, in Clarksburg, West Virginia, Corey spent his childhood in Shinnston, West Virginia, where he was raised by his aunt, Mary Pat Lake, and John and Judy Loss. He attended Lincoln High School and Fairmont State University.
Corey was a beloved and talented musician in the hardcore band Violent Convictions. Throughout his life, he was also a member of Causes of Humanity’s Urban Decay, Black Hole Zion, Blair Mountain Bastards, Scrip, Disarm the Fallen, and many others.
A founding member of Remain Convicted Promotions and a former member of the board of directors of the Charleston Music and Arts Collective, Corey was dedicated not only to creating music but also to bringing it to others. His tireless efforts helped provide opportunities for artists and musicians from around the world to perform in the Charleston area, enriching the local music community he loved so dearly.
Corey was a founding member and co-director of Charcon, West Virginia’s premier annual tabletop gaming convention, and a member of the West Virginia Ghostbusters, a fan-based costuming, prop-building, and charitable organization. He was awarded the Champion for Children medal in recognition of his work with the West Virginia Ghostbusters in fundraising for the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia.
Corey loved hardcore, punk, metal, tabletop gaming, playing guitar and bass, cooking, traveling, and ethical debauchery.
Corey is survived by his beloved wife, Bekah Lake, and his partner, Cora Miller; his daughter, Abigail Lake, and son, Atticus Lake; his brothers, Tom Martin, Ed Loss, Paul Holcomb, and Manny Arambula; his sisters, Coen Martin, Amelia Sizemore, and Amanda Fitzwater; his nieces and nephews, Voen Martin, Esmeralda Arambula, Xander Loss, Jacob Matheny, William McAllister, Morgan King, Isabella Haymond, and Alec Loss; his bandmates, Nick Pauley, Steve Slack, JD Laney, John Gallimore, Bryan Flowers, Eddie Stinnett, Richard Steele, and Ray Hartzell; and more friends and people who loved him than all the ink in the world could print.
Regarding his final wishes, Corey left the following instructions in his own words:
“I wish to be cremated as inexpensively as possible. I do not want any sadness. I lived my life for joy, and I do not want one mother ***** to sit up there and cry for me when I go, because I’ve lived the life of kings and I know it.”
In keeping with Corey’s wishes, a celebration of his extraordinary life will be held at 7:30p.m. on Sunday October 18, 2026 at The New Brickhouse, 7101 MacCorkle Ave, Jefferson, WV 25177 Friends and family are invited to gather, share stories, laugh, remember, and celebrate a man who wanted nothing more than for the people he loved to find joy in life.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to this fundraiser. https://gofund.me/90babd7f0
In recognition of Corey’s lasting contributions to the community, the stage at the New Brickhouse performance venue has been named the “Corey Aaron Lake Memorial Stage” in his honor.
Corey was a one-legged king among men. He was love personified. Selfless to a fault, humble, and forever putting others before himself, he was a man of honor, compassion, and conviction. He was a friend to all, and even the earth wept at his passing.
Though his time with us has ended, his deeds and memory shall live on forever.
“Cattle die, and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one’s self;
One thing I know that never dies,
The fame of a dead man’s deeds.”
— Hávamál, stanza 77, translated by Henry Adams Bellows (1923).
