Larene M. Sorensen

Mayfield, Utah - Larene Miller Sorensen — wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and queen of her kingdom — died Saturday, June 27, at Gunnison Valley Hospital in Gunnison, Utah, five years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was 65. She was born Larene Ann Miller on June 19, 1950, to Donald and Ramona (Warner) Miller in Salt Lake City. She grew up in Rose Park, and graduated from West High School in 1968. She married David Lynn Sorensen on January 17, 1970. Through happiness and tough times, they raised four children and shared several houses, settling eventually in South Jordan, Utah. Larene worked for the United States Postal Service for 28 years, primarily in the Consumer Affairs office. One of her unofficial, but most prized, duties was answering letters sent from Utah children to Santa Claus. "I'm just helping Santa, because he just doesn't have time — he’s so busy getting everything ready for all of them,” Larene told The Salt Lake Tribune in 2008, the last of her 12 years answering Christmas letters. Larene was an avid reader, and loved cooking and playing the cello. She enjoyed swimming, online gaming, and crossword and jigsaw puzzles. She loved to travel, and was particularly fond of the ocean and going on cruises. Most of all, she loved spending time with and hugging her grandkids. After retiring from the Postal Service, Larene and David built their dream house in Mayfield, Utah. There Larene became active with the Lions Club, though her illness made it difficult to participate. Larene’s bubbly personality, her love of show tunes and Barbra Streisand songs, and her affinity for all things English earned her the affectionate nickname of “Queen Larene.” Members of the Sorensen family walked in the Susan Sandoval Run for Ovarian Cancer last September as “Team Queen Larene,” and several of them walked around a rainy Sugarhouse Park wearing tiaras with the word “princess” printed on them. Larene Sorensen is survived by her husband, David; her children: Leslie Means (Sean), Paul Sorensen, Amy Holt (Jeff) and Debbie Kuehnl (Zak); a sister, Elease Thompson, and brother, Don Miller (Solveig); and six grandchildren. David and the family are so appreciative of the staff of Gunnison Valley Hospital, and especially the hospice staff of Gunnison Valley Hospital Home Care. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, July 1, 2015, at 11 a.m., in the Mayfield LDS Ward Chapel, 15 E. 100 North, Mayfield, Utah where friends may call for viewing Wednesday morning from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Additional viewing will be held Wednesday evening, 7 to 8 p.m., at the Jenkins Soffe South Valley Funeral Home, 1007 W. South Jordan Parkway in South Jordan, Utah. Graveside services and burial will be Thursday, July 2, 2015, at 10 a.m. in the South Jordan Memorial Park Cemetery, 10630 S. 1055 West in South Jordan, Utah, under the care of the Springer Turner Funeral Home of Richfield and Salina, Utah.