Donna J. Sorensen

Donna J. Sorensen, nee Ormerod, of Oak Park, IL, passed away at 91 on June 19, 2025, surrounded by her children. She was born November 4, 1933, to the late James and Frances Ormerod in Chicago.

She married Roy W. Sorensen in 1953 and had five children: April, Sherri, Jens, Signe and Eric.

Donna was an amazing mother and grandmother. She was a role model for her children to explore and experience the world. She was always game for taking her children and their Peotone friends downtown on the train to experience the wonders of Chicago and the visual treasures of The Art Institute. She also planned and guided many trips to Europe to experience art and history with high school students, friends and family.

Donna’s true calling was a love of art. She brought art into the Peotone grade schools as the “Picture Lady” and became a docent at the Art Institute of Chicago at age 70, retiring at age 84. She worked at the Merrill Chase Galleries in Water Tower Place in Chicago and later became the Director of Merrill Chase Galleries

She truly saw life as a colorful adventure - from traveling with Bernie Koomar, long time neighbor and friend to see Picasso’s at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; to grouse hunting in Scotland. She traveled the world throughout her life, viewing cathedrals, art and diverse cultures in Paris, Rome, Madrid, Istanbul, England, Greece, Amsterdam, the Czech Republic, and Sweden, to name a few, along with studying art history and Italian in Florence.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Roy W. Sorensen (1980), the love of her life, and her daughter, April (2022). She is survived by a son-in-law, Bo (April) Carlstrom of Goteborg, Sweden; by her daughters, Sherri (James Clem) Sorensen-Clem of Santa Fe, NM; Signe (the late Dennis) Stearns of Novato, CA; her sons, Jens (Danielle Pierro) Sorensen of Oak Park, IL; and Eric (Lisa) Sorensen of Oak Park, IL; and a brother, Ronald (the late Connie) Ormerod of Oakland, CA. She is also survived by her beloved twelve grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.