Friends and colleagues are mourning the death of former Ann Arbor Police Chief William J. Corbett, who died Thursday in his Port Huron home after a short illness. He was 78 years old.

Corbett served in law enforcement for 54 years beginning in 1954 with the Detroit Police Department, where he eventually became a commander.

He was hired as chief of police of the Ann Arbor Police Department in 1980 and ran the department until 1990, earning national accreditation along the way. He went on to serve as chief of police in the Port Huron Police Department from 1990-2008.

Corbett was born in Belle River, Ontario, in 1932 and grew up on a farm. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving as a flight medic in the Air Force. He was a 1971 graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy, the past president of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, and a distinguished member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

"I didn't know Bill personally, but he had an upstanding reputation in law enforcement," said Matt Harshberger, Pittsfield Township public safety director. "It's a loss for our profession and we will miss him."

Port Huron Fire Chief Bob Eick, who worked with Corbett for six years, said that Corbett's experience and wisdom had a huge impact on his career as fire chief.

"I think Bill enjoyed life," Eick told the Port Huron Times Herald. "He loved people more than anything, even when he was dealing with tough issues. You got a sense that he was there to make a difference for those folks in their worst hour."

Corbett married Kathleen "Kay" Dunlavey in 1956. She died in 2007, and they are survived by two children, Kelly Ann Corbett and Shawn (Michelle) Michael Corbett. William Corbett was engaged to be married and is survived by his fiancee, Andrea Solak.

Funeral services will be Monday at 10 a.m. at McMorran Auditorium in Port Huron and are open to the public. Corbett will be buried in Lakeside Cemetery in Port Huron. Visiting hours are Sunday from 2-9 p.m. at Karrer-Simpson Funeral Home, 1720 Elk Street in Port Huron. Memorial donations can be made to Thin Blue Line of Michigan.