April 12, 1927 – February 19th, 2013
Long Beach, Ca. – Santa Barbara, Ca
In the early morning of February 19th, the world lost a precious man with a gentle soul. Dale Sorenson, age 85, passed away surrounded by the love and support of his family. The world as we know it, will never be the same.
Dale was an industrious, hard working man. He was a man of great integrity and generosity who lived life with a zeal and energy that would brighten any room. His compassion and care for those around him were evident by his smile and reassuring warm hugs.
From 1944 to 1948 Dale served proudly in the United States Navy as a Gunner’s Mate on a Destroyer. Post war he went to work at Paper Mate, then Anja Engineering as a mechanical engineer and soon met the love of his life, Theresa. They were married in 1955 in Arcadia, California. Their love for one another was the very foundation of their family and their community life.
In 1968 Dale moved his family to Santa Barbara then founded Ridal Corporation in 1969, which he owned and operated for 33 years, manufacturing components for military, aerospace, medical and telecommunications applications. His expertise carried over into his personal life where he could repair or improve anything that broke so that it was stronger or functioned better when he was done.
Dale had a deep appreciation for all those he knew and the world around him. He had a profound love of nature and the heart of a farmer which was reflected in the care he gave his fruit trees and gardens, the tending of his beehives, and the daily hand feeding of the wild birds that visited his backyard. His four grandchildren were his pride and joy as he delighted in all their accomplishments and loved to watch them play soccer and wrestle and dance. He had a passion for tennis, playing every week with his friends and a deep love for trout fishing in the Sierras. He gave his time and energy to many organizations: UNICO of Santa Barbara, Elks, Optimists, and the Italian-American Boot Club.
Dale is Survived by his wife, Theresa, children Laurie and Mark (Kelly), grandchildren Tyler (Tayrn), Nico, Lucas and Camille. He also left behind his sweet sisters, Ecco Ochoa and Wanda Gayer. Dale was preceded in death by his brother, Frank Sorenson and his mother Ada and father Jess Sorenson.
Dale’s spirit will live on in each of us that loved him. His memory will never fade, he will never be forgotten for “Whom the soul embraces, the heart never forgets.”
There will be an inurnment ceremony at Cavalry Cemetery at 11:30 am March 1st.
We are very grateful for the excellent care Dale received from Dr. Woliver and the Staff of the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara along with the wonderful Staff of 6 Central at Cottage Hospital.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dale’s honor to Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care or DAWG.
