Jack P. Sorensen

Jack Payne Sorensen, 87, of Grand Island died Tuesday, November 24, at the St. Francis Medical Center. Services will be Tuesday, December 1, at 11 a.m. in the Main Sanctuary at Trinity United Methodist Church, with Reverend Del Roper presiding.



Visitation will be Monday, November 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Apfel Funeral Home. Burial will be in the West Lawn Memorial Park cemetery.



Jack was born July 6, 1928, in Fremont, Nebraska, to Carl and Christina Sorensen, both of whom were of Danish descent. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Robert; and his wife, Jackie.



The survivors of the immediate family are his two sons, Jeff and John, and his sister, Virginia. Although born in Fremont, Jack moved shortly thereafter to Grand Island, where he was very nearly a lifelong resident. As a boy he delivered newspapers (often accompanied by his dog, Sport) for the Grand Island Daily Independent.



Jack attended the Grand Island public schools and met his future wife, Jackie, in 1946 at Grand Island Senior High. They were married in 1952. In high school Jack was especially known for being an excellent football player. He played both offensive and defensive end on the outstanding Grand Island Senior High football teams of 1945 and 1946. In 1946 he was captain of the squad, which included Bobby Reynolds, who would later become a first-team All-American at the University of Nebraska. Jack was also known in high school for being one of the handful of students with a car.



He first became acquainted with his future wife, Jackie, when he asked her to take a ride with him in his purple and gold vehicle. Jack was an avid fan of Nebraska football, and first attended games in the 1930s, when he often sat in a special section on a hill behind one of the end zones--for a cost of ten cents.



He served in the Army during the Korean War, and was stationed in Korea for about a year and a half. His rank was sergeant, and he later attended many reunions with other members of his outfit, most of whom were from Ada, Oklahoma. For nearly forty years Jack was a co-manager (and later co-owner) of Sorensen's Auto Body Shop in Grand Island. His specialties were painting cars and making estimates of the cost of auto repairs. He was a hard worker who invariably arrived at the shop before 6 a.m.



Jack was very actively involved in activities at Trinity United Methodist Church for over seventy years. He served as an usher from the 1940s into the 2000s. He was known as Mr. Methodist Men and was treasurer for this group at Trinity from the 1950s until the 2000s. Jack was also the church's historian, and authored a book, Yesterday and Today and Forever, on the history of the Methodist church in Grand Island from 1866 to 1991. Nebraska historian Robert Manley called this book the best church history I have ever seen. Jack was extremely devoted to his wife, Jackie, and was her primary caregiver during her final years.