LeRoy Norman Sorenson

LeRoy Norman Sorenson was born on January 20, 1951, in Huron, SD to Hazel Marie (Gross) Sorenson and Norman Chester Sorenson. His mother was a hotel maid, his father a railman. After graduating high school, where he won a National Council of Teachers Award for his writing, he enrolled at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where he was in the first class of Paracollege, an experimental college-within-a-college. LeRoy flourished in Paracollege, where he studied English and child psychology and made lifetime friends. After graduating in 1973, he worked on the Nestlé boycott, then enrolled in graduate economics at the University of Minnesota, specializing in Third World development. Later he obtained an MBA from the Carlson School of Management. He joined Allison Williams, an investment banking firm, became a Certified Financial Analyst and later a Senior Vice President. In the last decade of his career, he returned to writing poetry, taking classes at the Loft Literary Center, where he was chosen as a poet for the 2009-2010 Loft Mentor Series. He helped form a weekly poetry group at The Open Book in Minneapolis. LeRoy was then chosen for the Foreword apprenticeship in poetry with mentors Jude Nutter and Thomas Smith. The Foreword group continues to meet to share and workshop poetry. In 2016, Main Street Rag published LeRoy's first collection of poetry, Forty Miles North of Nowhere. In 2017, he collaborated with other Foreword poets in an anthology, In the Company of Others. In 2019, he won the Tishman Review's Edna St. Vincent Millay Prize for his poem "Tomato Soup Reminds Me of Poverty." In 2021, Finishing Line Press published his chapbook, Railman's Son. In 2006, LeRoy and his wife, Carla Hagen, began participating in the San Miguel Poetry Week, an annual event in Mexico organized by Jennifer Clement and Barbara Sibley that featured poets such as Mark Doty, Tony Barnstone, Toi Derricotte, Kevin Young, Sholeh Wolpe, Thomas Lux and Tony Hoagland. LeRoy and Carla developed close friendships with the San Miguel poets who gather each year.

LeRoy and Carla met in 1989 and were married in 1991. They combined their families and friends, wrote together, read endless books, danced to the blues, talked politics and many other things, traveled to Mexico and Spain, nurtured and were bossed around by a series of cats, and embraced their good fortune at finding each other.

LeRoy was predeceased by his parents, his mother-in-law, Elnora Bixby, his father-in-law, Parry Bixby, his godson, Gabriel Johnson Ortíz and several friends. He is survived by his loving wife, Carla Hagen; a sister, Kay Ball of Colorado; brothers and sisters-in-law, John and LuAnn Hagen and Greg and Joyce Hagen; nieces and nephews Amanda Unger, Brooke (Andrew) Rzepecki, Jenny (Barry) Wegner, Gennelle Larson, Erick Hagen, Bryan Ball, Nate Stanley, Nick (Katherine) Stanley and Bryan Stanley. He is also survived by great-nieces and nephews Mason Unger, Ally Unger, Derek Unger, Jori Rzepecki, Cora Rzepecki, Alex Wegner, Ana Wegner, Taylor Hagen, Tanner Larson, Ethan Larson, Jade Ball, Starla Ball, Hudson Stanley, Samson Stanley, Emory Stanley and Callahan Stanley. His large and loving community of friends, especially Chris Sullivan and David Feroe, also survives to mourn LeRoy, his humor, his intellect and his generous spirit.

LeRoy died on December 4, 2025 in Carla's arms at Westwood Ridge in West Saint Paul, where he was receiving hospice services. A celebration of life will be held on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM at Saint Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church, at 100 North Oxford Street in Saint Paul, with a reception, visitation and open mic to follow. Memorials are suggested to ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center and The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

The family wishes to thank Dorcas and Daniel Adedigba; Dr. Vijay Rahmanan at Mayo Clinic; CNP Jodi Lowary at United Hospital; Westwood Ridge, especially Vanessa, Jackie and Frankie; the Vivie Hospice team, especially Felicia, who cared for LeRoy in his last moments; Dr. Noelle Nelson and Dr. Susan Minette; Pastor Patrick Shebeck and Willwerscheid Funeral Home, especially Dominic Krezowski. 651- 228-1006 www.willwerscheid.com