Dennis E. Sorensen

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Dennis Eldon Sorensen, age 83, passed away peacefully on December 7, 2025 with his wife holding his hand following an unexpected stroke and brief hospitalization.

Dennis was born on June 30, 1942 to Melvin Edgar and Edith (Jessen) Sorensen. He was the third of four children. Dennis grew up on the family farm in College Ward where he learned traits of hard work, industry, thrift and honesty as well as the importance of family, church and community involvement.

Dennis met and married Leona Black in 1964 and they were blessed with nine children. He built their family home next door to the home where he grew up. Family was keenly important to them and the absolute center of their lives. Dennis worked hard to provide for the family but also spent time working side by side with them, teaching them the traits he had learned from his parents. Together they grew and harvested a large garden each year, raised farm animals and other pets, milked cows, farmed, and balanced work and play. The family remembers picnics, trips to the lake, fishing, waterskiing, camping and hunting. There were annual summer trips touring places of interest all over the country such as Nauvoo and several other church history sites, the national parks, Niagara Falls, Disneyland, and family members living out of state. Dennis typically drove through the night while Leona navigated and the children slept, and then tents were pitched at each destination.

Dennis sacrificed much time and effort in providing the labor to build homes for several of his children. He was his children and grandchildren’s biggest fan, supporting them in their church, school and extracurricular activities. He was a huge tease who loved to joke and play jokes and he loved nothing more than a good laugh – well, a Diet Coke might rival that! He had the unique ability of convincing each of his grandchildren and now great-grandchildren that each one of them were his favorite! He could often be found with a very contented child snuggling on his lap.

Dennis was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served willingly in several capacities. He served a mission from 1962-1964 in the Eastern Central States which included Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee and part of Ohio. He and Leona served a mission together in Edinburgh, Scotland from 2008-2010. He spent many years working in the scouting program encouraging and helping numerous young men make and achieve their goals with many earning their Eagle rank. He was a faithful home teacher/minister. He enjoyed serving with Leona as an officiator in the Logan Temple for many years and he regularly attended the temple as a patron.

Together Dennis and Leona experienced both the joys and heartbreaks of life but faced both with faith in God and trust in His plan. One giant test was the propane explosion which leveled their home while they were in Scotland but they witnessed firsthand the absolute miracle that spared the lives of their two youngest children who were inside the home at the time. They attribute this miracle to God’s tender mercies in sparing those lives and their willingness to serve and trust the Lord. They are forever grateful for the many who helped and assisted their family during and following this horrific event while they were on the other side of the world which enabled them to stay and complete their mission.

Dennis graduated from South Cache High School in 1960. Right out of high school he joined the ROTC and he was proud to serve our country for eight years in the Army National Guard. After exploring several career possibilities he settled upon firefighting and worked for the Logan City Fire Department from 1966-1998, advancing in the ranks and becoming a battalion chief. Fellow firefighters describe him as fair, honest, a natural leader, and say he always had their safety foremost on his mind. He also accepted a lot of extra side jobs utilizing his exceptional skills in carpentry, brick masonry and stone work. His signature work can be found in multiple places throughout the valley. Upon retirement Dennis and Leona both worked as bus drivers where they enjoyed interacting with the children and youth on their buses. Dennis often volunteered to drive the longer runs for sporting events and band competitions out of the valley and enjoyed supporting and encouraging the participants.

Dennis is survived by his wife Leona, children Virginia (Troy - deceased) Wenzel of Ogden, Kimberly (Jerry) Skidmore of College Ward, Tracy (KayDawn) Sorensen of College Ward, Angela (Tyler - deceased) Mikesell of Garland, Daniel (Amber) Sorensen of College Ward, Steven (Angela) Sorensen of College Ward, Christopher (Lisa) Sorensen of College Ward, Tony Sorensen of Beaver Dam, Mary Sorensen of Logan, and Theodore Frank of New Mexico, an Indian Placement student that is considered family. They also welcomed various others into their home as the need arose. There was always room at the table and in his heart for one or six more. Dennis welcomed and was very proud of his 32 grandchildren and their spouses and 31 great grandchildren with two more on the way.

His parents and older siblings and their spouses Clyde Melvin (Marilyn) Sorensen and Clara (Claude) Parkinson preceded him in death. He is survived by his younger sister Geraldine (Alan) Boehme of Wellsville.

Funeral services will be held Monday, December 15 at the College-Young Ward Chapel (2394 West 2200 South) starting at 11:00 a.m. with a viewing from 9:30-10:30 a.m. A viewing will also be held Sunday, December 14 from 5-7 p.m. at Allen-Hall Mortuary (Center Street in Logan). Services will be live-streamed at collegeward.us for those unable to attend in person.

The family would like to thank the emergency medical personnel who assisted Dennis in ambulance transport and the numerous doctors, nurses and staff who gave him such excellent and compassionate care during his hospital stay.

Memories and condolences may be shared and expressed at www.allenmortuaries.com.