William B. Sorensen Jr.

William B. Sorensen, Jr. (“Bill”), beloved husband, father, brother, son, and friend to many, died on September 11, 2025, after a short but courageous battle with cancer. He was 72 years old.

Bill was born on February 8, 1953, to William B. and Mary Hope Sorensen. He grew up in Ness City, Kansas, graduating as salutatorian from Ness City High School in 1971. During high school, Bill played basketball and football and ran track. He went to state in track with his medley relay team his senior year. He also set the school record for the 880-yard run and still holds that distinction.

He attended Kansas State University where he majored in mathematics and graduated with honors in 1975. Following college, he attended law school at the University of Kansas where he was on the Law Review. Along the way – through high school, college and law school – he forged many lifelong friendships.

After graduating from law school in 1978, Bill joined the Wichita law firm, Morris, Laing, Evans, Brock and Kennedy. At Morris, Laing, where he stayed for his entire legal career until his retirement in 2021, Bill focused his practice on bankruptcy law and was known throughout the State of Kansas for his knowledge and skill as a bankruptcy lawyer. Over the years, he helped countless clients through extremely difficult financial situations. To his partners at Morris Laing, he was both well loved, and admired for his intelligence, knowledge, kindness, sense of humor, and unparallelled organizational skills.

In 1984, he met the love of his life, Lou Anne, while they were both volunteering at Special Olympics. They married in 1988. Bill and Lou Anne had a happy marriage with many adventures. They shared a love of traveling, sailing, spending time with friends and family, and their English Setter dogs. Those dogs – Fenway, Kess, and Zumi – were important members of Bill and Lou Anne’s family, accompanying them on annual trips to Colorado, and on their sailboat excursions.

Bill and Lou Anne’s daughter, Kate, was born in 1998. From the moment she was born until the day he died, Bill and Kate shared a special, unbreakable bond.

Throughout his life, Bill remained close with his sisters. Susan and Bill shared their enthusiasm for K-State sports, and Bill and Diane practiced law together at Morris Laing. The three siblings were close friends, and enjoyed “sibling trips,” traveling to Ness City together to visit and assist their dad.

Bill was an athlete his whole life. His first love was basketball, but, following a knee injury in a skiing accident, he became an avid bicyclist, completing multiple Bike Across Kansas trips, and – in more recent years – regional bicycle trips with a close-knit group of Wichita friends. Bill was on the board of Bike Walk Wichita, an organization dedicated to making Wichita a bicycle friendly city. He also served on the board of Southwind Yacht Club.

In his retirement, Bill enjoyed his weekly coffee group, which included other retired bankruptcy lawyers and judges, as well as friends of its members. Bill was still making new, but valued, friendships through this group.

Bill was preceded in death by his mother, Mary. He is survived by his wife, Lou Anne, his daughter, Kate, his father, William B. Sorensen, Sr., his sisters Susan (Mike) Mallon, and Diane Sorensen (Conrad Snider), along with his nieces, Megan Mallon, Melissa Mallon, Hayley Austin, and Ivy Nispel, and his nephews, Brett Mallon, Luke Armstrong, Matt Armstrong, Dylan Armstrong, and Jake Lovendahl. He also is survived by his aunts, uncle, and cousins.

For everyone lucky enough to have known and loved Bill, his absence will leave an enormous hole. Bill’s deep and long-lasting friendships, as well as his close relationship with his family, are testament to the kind of life he lived.

A celebration of life service for William will be held Friday, October 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM in The Ville at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, 123 N Andover Rd., Andover, KS 67002.

Contributions in William's memory may be made to AARTi (Andover Augusta Rail Trail Initiative), PO Box 692, Andover, Kansas 67002 US, https://redbudtrail.org/; and Bike Walk Wichita, 325 N. St. Francis , Wichita, Kansas 67202, https://bikewalkwichita.org/.