March 14, 1941 – December 21, 2012
Ted died on the ski slopes of Squaw Valley Ski Area doing what he loved on Friday, December 21, 2012. It was to be just another one of his frequent day trips from his home in Auburn, California. Although Ted was an expert skier, ski instructor and ski racer, something went drastically wrong during this last run on KT-22 . He will be fondly remembered as a person with a zest and passion for life, who brought joy and fun into the lives of the numerous family and friends who loved and admired him.
Ted was born to Adelia (Dee) Lillian Sorensen (nee Lampe} and William (Bill) Digman Sorensen in Santa Cruz, California, and was raised in the Oakland, California hills with his older brother, Lloyd, and younger sister, Christina (Tina). After graduation from Oakland Technical High School with his class of January 1959, he studied at Oakland City College before enlisting in the U. S. Coast Guard in 1961. After his years of military service, he joined the Fire Department at the Lawrence Livermore Lab in 1965.
Four years later, he married Dona Marie Brakebush, a marriage that would last until Ted’s death. Also In 1969, he transferred to the San Jose, California Fire Department, beginning thirty years of exceptional and rewarding service as a Fire Engineer.
With the arrival of their two sons, in 1970 and 1972, respectively, Ted and Dona set about raising a family, which they did admirably. Ted loved his family and took great pride in all of them—wife Dona, sons Jeff and Derek, daughter-in-law Cindy, and grandsons, Luke and Jack. Ted was delighted that his sons and grandsons shared his passion for skiing, and he took great pride in helping all of them develop into exceptional skiers.
Ted inherited his excellent mechanical abilities and inventiveness from his father, who was raised on a farm before becoming a skilled mechanic. Ted built a fast inboard speedboat in 1960, which is still in the family. For many years on his off days he did residential remodels, and also built his family home in the San Jose hills. After retirement from the fire department he supervised the construction of a new family home in Auburn. He was an inveterate “tinkerer” always building or improving something. In addition to his lifelong passion for skiing, Ted planted Syrah wine grapes on the Auburn property, and dived into wine making, under the guidance of the local vintners. Ted enjoyed wine making and his friends and family enjoyed the fruits of his labors. Ted also enjoyed his association with the Elks Lodge in Auburn, where he and his buddies cooked tacos for Taco Team One.
In addition to his widow, sons, daughter-in law, grandsons, brother and sister, Ted is survived by numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews and friends. Ted enriched the lives of all of them in ways that they will remember always. He will be greatly missed.
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