John Mark Sorenson

It is with deep love and broken hearts that we share the unexpected passing of John Mark Sorenson, age 41, who entered into rest on September 25, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina.

John was born on January 31, 1985, in Dayton, Ohio; he was the son of and survived by Theresa Sorenson and Scott Sorenson.

He was a graduate of Homeschooling in 2002 and worked as a high-profile server for fifteen years. A career he loved. He took great pleasure in curating special experiences for all his guests. As a child, teen, and adult, he spent his life living and traveling in and out of country.  In his years of growing up in upstate New York, he loved spending time alongside his grandfather on his farm. John looked up to him and often shared warm memories and life lessons from his time with his grandfather on the farm.

In his adult years, he lived in Alabama, Hawaii, New York, and North Carolina. A trip to Cambodia left a lasting imprint on him throughout his adulthood. During his life in Hawaii he worked on a cruise ship and traveled. After returning to New York, he became a volunteer firefighter and loved it with a passion.

Throughout his life, John placed strong emphasis on bettering himself as a person, first for himself and for those in and around his life. He had a passion for esotericism, and lived by the spiritual teachings of Ram Dass: practiced cultivating peace and presence, consciousness, compassion, and love. He so enjoyed having long and deep conversations exploring their depth with others.

He enjoyed technology and spending time on his computer, photography (which his brother Daniel fondly remembers), watching anime, reading books, writing poems, playing games, hanging out, and catching all the Pokémon. He had an artist’s soul and found ways to see art and beauty all around him. He cared for his family and friends deeply. John loved hard.

He also leaves behind his soulmate and friend of twenty-four years, Aliece Cosby. His father’s wife Dohna. His siblings Blessing, Benjamin, Sarah and her husband Carlos Garcia, Zachary, Grace, Daniel, and Caleb. Several nephews, and a niece. He was proceeded in death by his sister Tiffany.

Though John’s time with us was far too brief, the imprint he left on our hearts will endure forever. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten.

A memorial gathering to honor John Mark's life will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, at a date and time to be announced, with a future interment in Cedarville, New York.

“In our Western culture, although death has come out of the closet, it is still not openly experienced or discussed. Allowing dying to be so intensely present enriches both the preciousness of each moment and our detachment from it.”—Ram Dass

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