William Hugh Sorey

William Hugh Sorey died of complications from early onset Alzheimer's Disease on May 19, 2025. Will was born on August 13, 1957, in Mobile, Alabama, to Robert and Elane Sorey. He grew up in Pearl, Mississippi, where his numerous claims to fame included playing the tuba for the Pearl Pirate Band, being named the Boy Mayor, and melting a hole through the asphalt parking lot of Pearl Junior High after using copious amounts of black powder as fuel for his working model of a volcano. After graduating high school, Will attended the University of Mississippi where he was a member of Delta Psi Fraternity and the Pride of the South marching band. Will then received his MD from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine where he later completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in adolescent medicine.
Armed with intelligence, compassion, and a penchant for charming small children by quacking like a duck, Will was a talented pediatrician. In his 37 years of practicing medicine in various settings, he cared for thousands of infants and children and tirelessly advocated for vital public health measures like childhood vaccines. He spent the majority of his career practicing at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children, where he was also able to pursue his love of teaching. As a professor of pediatrics, Will took special joy in mentoring the medical students and residents under his care and felt that being a teacher stood at the heart of his vocation as a doctor. Of the numerous awards and honors he received during his career, the one most cherished by his family came about in 2019 when his peers honored his retirement with the creation of the Sorey Award, an honor now given annually to recognize outstanding teaching by a faculty member of the UMMC Department of Pediatrics.
Will was slow to anger but quick to laugh. His wit and gentle kindness made him a dear friend, devoted husband, and loving father. Will's vast and varied interests meant that you always learned about something new in every conversation with him: the game changing impact of the Hib vaccine, why they put a nitrogen widget inside a can of Guinness, the dangers of riverside rope swings, what it's like to realize that your sousaphone is playing sharp because an LSU football fan chucked a cheeseburger into the bell during an away game at Tiger Stadium, the life of Ida M'Toy, how to make a baby laugh, and so on.
Will loved God, his family, Siamese cats, boomerangs, the Three Stooges, fly fishing, kayaking, singing and playing mandolin in the Galloway Bluegrass Band, Saturday mornings at the rifle range, cinnamon rolls, the Lord of the Rings, differential equations, hiking trips with the Manly Methodists, serving his country as a commander in the United States Naval Reserve Medical Corps, and being with his beloved wife and daughters.
A man of quiet but steadfast faith, Will did justice, loved kindness, and walked humbly with his God.
He is preceded in death by his daughter Sarah and his parents Robert and Elane. He is survived by his wife of over 40 years, Marti; his daughters, Mary Rogers, Katie, and Laura; his siblings, Kathy Casey (Buddy), Dwight (Betty Jo), Adrian (Lisa), and Laura Watkins (James); brother-in-law Dennis O'Neal (Kay); cousin Carolyn Lewis; many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his two Siamese cats Helen and Marshall.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church; the Millsaps College Annual Fund; the McLean Fletcher Center; or Children's of Mississippi Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
Visitation will be on Saturday, May 24, at 10:30 a.m. in the reception halls at Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church, 305 N Congress St, Jackson, MS 39201. The Service of Resurrection will be held afterwards at 12:00 noon in the church sanctuary. The family asks that those attending wear colors in celebration of Will and a life well lived.