Connie Herrold Sorenson, 80, gave her corner of the flower garden back to us all on September 10, 2026, in Parker, CO. It is filled with more beautiful blooms than when she found it, and the seeds she planted will continue to flourish in her likeness and memory.
Growing up in Port Trevorton, Pennsylvania, along the meandering Susquehanna River, Connie Lou was raised in an environment that instilled the values of family, thoughtfulness, spirituality, and nature. She was the loving daughter of Eugene and Roxanna Herrold, whom she doted on until their final days.
Connie was the most thoughtful, dependable, strong, and loving woman. She lifted all those around her — family members, friends in need, or the occasional lost cat or dog. Her unwavering optimism was evident and she possessed an uncanny ability to make people feel cared for, capable, and loved. Connie inspired those she touched to rise up, be better, do better, and keep moving forward. A life dedicated to creating and giving to others, Connie cherished nothing more than making those around her feel loved and supported.
Her innate nurturing spirit led her to nursing school at Temple University, and afterward, she joined the United States Air Force. Her first assignment at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri found her caring for wounded soldiers returning home from Vietnam. Deeply proud of her service, she wrapped her country in the same care she gave to everyone she loved.
Connie continued her education, earning her BA in Psychology from Chaminade University in Honolulu and then a Master of Health Care Administration from Central Michigan University. Strong, determined, and unwavering — a force to be reckoned with — she worked her way up to hospital CEO and then Regional Vice President of psychiatric hospitals. Through the years, she moved with her family around the country, doing the important work of restructuring struggling hospitals and providing better care to those in the community. Before retiring, Connie managed Sunrise Assisted Living on the East Coast and later served as Head Start Health Manager in California.
You could say, over the course of her career, she tended to people of all ages and circumstances — from soldiers and patients living with mental illness, to our aging population and young children from low-income families. Caring for others was not simply her profession; it was her calling.
She found joy in her garden and in creating beautiful things with her hands. Her intricate quilts live in the homes of family, friends, and lucky recipients across the country — each one unique and a reflection of her artistry, patience, and incredible craftsmanship. Connie made a house a home, filling it with comforting smells, beautiful textiles, art, plants, and her warm presence. Never a week passed without fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, home-cooked meals made with herbs from the garden, and flowers arranged on the table — everything placed thoughtfully, purposely, and without unnecessary extravagance.
Connie is survived by her loving husband, James Sorenson; her children, Rebecca Musielak and Suzanne Wahl (Chris); her grandchildren, Noah, Chloe, Charlie, Rebecca, and Tess; and her sister and brother, Trudy Comes (Joe) and David Herrold Sr. (Sarah), along with her beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Roxanna Herrold.
She will return to her childhood home in Pennsylvania, to be laid to rest beside her parents in Witmer Cemetery, among the rolling hills of the countryside she called home.