Bob Sorenson

 

Robert S."Bob" Sorensen

West Lafayette - Robert S. (Bob) Sorensen, long-time local resident, passed away on April 19, 2021. He was born on April 13, 1941 in Stoughton, Wisconsin to the late Sidney and Lillian Sorensen. He grew up in Oak Park, Illinois before moving to West Lafayette in 1957 and graduated from West Lafayette High School in 1959. He earned a B.S. in Industrial Management, M.S. in Industrial Administration, and Ph. D. from Purdue University, in addition to a M.B.A. from Northwestern University.

On June 20, 1964 he married Linda Markins of Gaston, Indiana and she survives. He is also survived by siblings, John, and Marilyn Sorensen Pratt (Thomas), son Scott (Suellyn) of Indianapolis, and daughter Anne (Andrew) of Middleton, Wisconsin. Grandchildren are Sydney, Robert and Erik Sorensen and Sam, Alec, and Ryan Inman.

Bob began his career with the Ross Gear Division of TRW, Inc., and moved into higher education administration at Purdue in 1966. He left Purdue in 1984 while serving as Comptroller. After serving briefly as Associate Vice-President and Treasurer at St. Louis University he returned to West Lafayette to join the staff of Ivy Tech Community College. He provided business and computing leadership for the local campus before serving as the Chief Information Officer for the college. After his retirement from Ivy Tech in 2006 he briefly taught accounting in the Krannert School of Management at Purdue.

Lifetime priorities for Bob were his children, grandchildren, and extended family, as well as volunteer service to others. Earning the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth provided him a value base and an obligation to provide duty to others that framed his outlook on life. Locally he served in leadership positions with Tippecanoe Schools Foundation, Leadership Lafayette, Tippecanoe Arts Federation, Tippecanoe County Historical Association, Museums at Prophetstown, St. Andrew United Methodist Church, Sagamore Council Boy Scouts of America, University Place Foundation, the Barbara Cook Chapter of Mortar Board, and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Beyond the local community, he held leadership positions at the Area and Regional levels of the Boy Scouts of America, Scientech Club of Indianapolis, Circle City Lodge of the Sons of Norway, Mortar Board National Foundation, and State and Regional professional associations. For the higher education community, he served on accreditation teams for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Bob deeply appreciated his Norwegian heritage and its emphasis on family, music, and education. He traveled to Norway many times, enjoying cherished relationships with Norwegian family and friends.

Significant recognitions received included the G.A.Ross Award for Outstanding Senior Man at Purdue in 1963, Sagamore of the Wabash awarded by Gov. O'Bannon in 1997, and the Daniel D. Robinson Award for Outstanding Contributions to the field of college and university accounting in 1995. Other recognitions were Mortar Board Distinguished Lifetime Service Award in 2016, the Lafayette YWCA Foundation Win Hentschel Distinguished Service Award in 2014, and the Boy Scout Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope awards.

The family requests in lieu of flowers memorials be directed to endowment funds established by Robert and Linda Sorensen for the Sagamore Council of the Boy Scouts of America, PO Box 865, Kokomo, IN 46903 or Lafayette Ivy Tech College Foundation, P O Box 883, Indianapolis, IN 46206 Memorial gifts can also be made to St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 4703 N. 50 W, West Lafayette, IN 47906.

Visitation will be from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm, Friday, April 23, 2021 at Soller-Baker, West Lafayette Chapel, 1184 Sagamore Parkway West, West Lafayette, IN 47906. Current Covid-19 precautions will be observed along with social distancing and current government guidelines. Masks are required.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held for family at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 24, 2021 at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in West Lafayette.