Mrs. Carole Sorensen, 83, of Great Bridge, entered into eternal rest on Aug. 31, 2025, after a 15-year battle with lymphoma.
Born in Newport News to the late Eva Perkins Upshur and Granville F. Hogg Sr., Carole was raised on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and graduated from Northampton High School in 1960 as valedictorian of her class. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business education from Longwood College, where she was a member of the Pi Omega Pi Honor Society.
After college, Carole began a career as a secretary to the assistant vice president of Norfolk and Western Railway in Roanoke. She later accepted a position as a secretary to the senior vice president of Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. It was here that she met the love of her life, Bob. They married in 1971.
During their 52 years of marriage, Carole and Bob lived in several states across the country, including Mississippi, Washington, and Virginia, ultimately settling in Chesapeake in 1987. They joined Great Bridge Baptist Church, where Carole developed deep and meaningful friendships through the Pairs and Spares Sunday School class. Carole was a beloved wife, sister, aunt, stepmother, and friend. Her kind and loving spirit was a source of comfort to all who knew her. Her deep and abiding faith in the Lord provided her with the strength, determination, and grit to persevere through life’s trials.
Carole will be remembered for her warm smile and her ability to bring joy and comfort to every moment. She hosted many Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and no meal was complete without her blackberry cobbler.
In her later years, Carole was surrounded by the love and support of her late husband and the many friends, family, and church members who showered her with food, prayers and companionship. Their prayers, visits, and immense generosity made it possible for her to live and pass on her own terms with dignity and peace. The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the many friends and church family who took the time and effort to prepare a meal or drop off a favorite dish or who came by to visit and lift her spirits. Special thanks are also given to Dr. Mauser and Dr. Cross for their dedicated care and to the compassionate staff of Comfort Care Home Health and Hospice, especially her three special girls, Taniqua, Pennie, and Jacqueline, whom Carole considered family.
Carole was preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob” Sorensen. She is survived by her brother, Granville F. Hogg Jr. and wife, Gwyn Coghill, of Northampton County; her stepson, Chris Sorensen and wife, Donata, of Richland, Wash.; and her nieces, Jennifer Hogg and husband, Tom Packett, of Charlottesville, and Mataline Donovan, of Los Angeles, Calif.
A service to celebrate Carole’s life will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Briggs Funeral Home and Crematory, 1748 Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake. The family will receive friends following the service during a reception. Carole will be laid to rest with her husband in the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Carole Sorensen Memorial Fund to benefit Great Bridge Baptist Church, 640 Battlefield Blvd.South, Chesapeake, VA 23322.
Friends are invited to sign the online guest book and to make online memorial contributions at www.briggsfh.com
