Colonel Wayne Bert Sorensen

1942 - 2015

SORENSEN,
Colonel Wayne Bert
Colonel Wayne Bert Sorensen, US Army, Retired, Ph.D., left this life of love and service on 18 February 2015 in Austin Texas.
Born September 15, 1942 in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Violet (nee Burlingame) and Bert Sorensen, Wayne earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration at the University of Minnesota in 1965. He entered the Army as a Medical Service Corps officer, served in Vietnam 1966 to 1967, and served in medical units in Germany, Korea, California, Oklahoma and Texas. He earned his Masters in Health Care Administration at Baylor and his PhD at the University of Iowa. In the 1980s, Sorensen was an Associate Professor and Director at the U.S. Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health Administration, San Antonio, Texas. His last assignment in the Army was as the Executive Officer to the Chief of Clinical Services, 7th Medical Command, Heidelberg, Germany.
He retired in 1992 and began a second career as a sought after consultant and University professor. He consulted for the Association of University Programs in Health Administration and the Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, preparing accreditation policies and procedures and evaluating academic programs throughout the United States and overseas. He continued a distinguished academic career on the Health Care Administration faculty at Texas State in San Marcos where he was Associate Professor and also Chair of the Department for ten of 17 years. While there he continued to work to improve health care overseas, representing Texas State on assistance visits to Kazakhstan, the Republic of Georgia, Uzbekistan, and the Ukraine.
In 2010 he was recruited as the first Director of Health Care Administration for Concordia University in Austin, where he found passion inspiring young Christian leaders. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Army Legion of Merit and the Gold Medal Award from the American College of Healthcare Executives in 2008. He loved teaching and mentoring and considered his professorship and his relationship with his students as his true calling. He was a member of several medical, management, and hospital professional associations and served on the editorial board of several professional publications. Wayne was active in charity work, most notably with his wife, Genie, in supporting the Down Home Ranch in Elgin, Texas.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Genie, daughters Teresa Barker, Mary Barfield (Rick), Alexandra Holcomb (James) and grandson (Robert Barfield), Heike Lange; sisters Faith Seng (Richard) and Doreen Atchison (Jack), two loving Godchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held at Saint Catherine of Siena (Tuesday, 2/24) and Concordia University in Austin (TBA). Ashes will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery (TBA). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Down Home Ranch, Elgin, Texas.
Condolences may be sent to: www.harrellfuneralhomes.com.