Obituary of Virginia Lee Sorenson

Virginia Lee (Gartman) Sorenson entered eternal life in the presence of her family on June 18, 2023, taking her final breath at 3PM after a long battle with cancer.  Prior to her passing, she was surrounded by the love of friends and family who honored the memory of her life with prayers, readings, stories and songs.

Virginia was born on July 21^st, 1944 in Freeport, Illinois.  She was the fourth of four daughters born to the union of Clifford Gartman and Dorothy Gartman (Kenke) and was the final surviving sibling.  Virginia expressed her faith and love of God through artistic and musical expression.  Even as a young woman, she was an accomplished violinist, painter and vocalist. 

Virginia graduated from Freeport High School with honors as the school paper editor and the lead in the musicals “Brigadoon” and “The King and I.”  She went on to enroll at the University of Chicago, where she met the father of her two sons.  She discontinued her education upon marrying and giving birth to two sons while her husband trained and deployed as an Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War.  She relocated with her two sons overseas to Japan during the deployment where she found affinity with the Japanese in their artistic expressions of nature, food and beauty. 

The family eventually settled in Tucson, Arizona, where she lived with her current husband until he suffered a debilitating stroke.  Prior to his stroke, she continued her disciplined pursuit of art and beauty as a librettist, church music organizer and music teacher.  In pursuit of her calling to glorify God through artistic beauty, Virginia created and organized a volunteer symphony orchestra that combined the reading of scripture with classical music selections and audience readings and responses.  When it became clear that Virginia could no longer care for her husband by herself, her younger son, now grown, assisted her in relocating to Greeley, Colorado.  

Virginia was introduced to the beautiful Catholic community of St. Peter’s in 2016 during “Greeley Potato Days” and she received her Confirmation on Easter Sunday of 2017. 

She is survived by her husband, Peter Sorenson, her two sons, Kevin with Laura (House) & Tyler with Tanya (Ewing)  and their families, which include two grandsons, two granddaughters, and four great-grandchildren.