Wayne Curtis Sorenson

Wayne Curtis Sorenson passed away at Hillside Manor Hospice Center in Missoula, Montana on April 2nd 2011, of lung cancer.  He was 55 years old.  He was preceded in death by his mother, Edith Frances “Terri” Sorenson.

He was born on July 16th, 1955 to Edith Frances “Terri” Sorenson and Velmore Nelson Sorenson, in Hot Springs, Montana.  He stated school in Malta and moved to Paradise in 1965, attending first Paradise Elementary School and later graduating from Plains High School where he lettered in football, basketball and track, where he established several school records in sprinting and long jumping.

Wayne grew up on railroad land, in a large house on a ranch between Paradise and Plains.  He had an idyllic childhood, doing chores such as milking the cows and bailing hay, and had his horse Sugar to take him away for wonderful adventures.

In 1975, he joined the U.S. Navy and traveled in Asia and Europe as the ship’s lead electrician.  He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1979 and moved to Coeur ‘d Lane, Idaho where he worked for his father building and installing wood stoves and their backdrops.  He also worked in a body shop and as a logger.

In 1981, he entered North Idaho College to study to become an electrician.  In 1984, Wayne moved to Lewiston, Idaho to attend Lewis and Clark State College.  He graduated with a math degree and an endorsement in secondary education in May of 1988.

While at Lewis and Clark, Wayne met and married the former Barbara Francke.  Wayne cherished his new role as father to Barbara’s daughter Amanda.  Watching Mandy grow was one of Wayne’s greatest pleasures in life.  During the 1988-89 school year, Wanye substitute taught in the Moscow, Troy, Dreary, Lewiston and Clarkston, WA school districts.  In the fall of ’89 he began graduate work in math at the University of Idaho.

In 1994, Wayne and Barbara moved to Leavenworth, WA where they settled.  They bought and operated Bavarian Meadows Bed and Breakfast for several years.  After Amanda’s graduation from high school, they traveled to Seoul, South Korea to teach English at a tutoring school.

Upon returning to Leavenworth, Wayne worked for Die Musik Box where he developed a love for music boxes and working on them. In 2005 they returned to Daejoen, South Korea where Wayne taught math and science, his two real loves, along with English.  They returned to Leavenworth in 2007 where he retired due to health concerns.

Wayne is survived by his wife Barbara, his daughter Amanda Rohrbach and son-in-law Daniel Rohrbach of San Diego, CA, his father Velmore Sorenson of Clam Gulch, AK, his sisters Glenda Calhoun of Missoula, MT, Karen and Robert Voris of Eagle River, AK, Fern and Bob Johnson of Plains, MT, Donna and Arlen Hattel of Elma, WA, Carol Ann and Mike Heater of Kalispell, MT, Susan Ramsey of Waco, TX and his brother Darrell and Lucile Sorenson of San Lorenzo, CA, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.

A memorial service in commemoration of Wayne’s life as held on April 5th at First Lutheran Church in Plains where he attended services while growing up.  An additional celebration of Wayne’s life will be held in Leavenworth, WA on April 16, at Chumstick Grange, 621 Front Street.  The reception will be at 3 p.m. and the service will begin at 4 p.m. with a potluck reception to follow.