Obituary: Gary Sorge

Gary A. Sorge was tragically taken from us on Tuesday, June 29, 2010 while heroically saving the lives of his son and the child of a total stranger, which, to anyone who knew him, comes as no surprise. Gary had the gift of bringing smiles and joy to everyone he was around. He was unfailingly optimistic, and always saw the "silver lining" in everything life brought to him. Above all else, Gary loved his family and friends. He considered his greatest accomplishment in life as having a beautiful and loving marriage and three wonderful sons. Gary prided himself on treating others with respect and kindness and living life to the fullest. Amongst his varied interests, Gary enjoyed traveling to exotic locations; racing cars; camping; mountain climbing; skiing; mountain biking; tennis and racquetball; as well as having a deep appreciation for great food and wine. He had the perfect balance in his life between family, friends, work and play and although his time on earth with all of us is over he will forever live on in our hearts, minds and souls as one of the most wonderful memories that any of us could ever have.

Gary was born June 17, 1966 in Dayton Ohio to Joseph and Bonnie Sorge. Joseph was a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, so the family lived in various duty stations, from Germany to Massachusetts to Florida. The family settled in Las Vegas, Nevada, when Gary was 14. Upon graduating in 1984 from Clark High School in Las Vegas, Gary moved to Reno to attend the University of Nevada, Reno, where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. While in college, he began a job at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in the E.R. department, and progressed to the Performance Improvement department, that would ultimately define his career in the medical field. Gary returned to UNR and obtained his Masters Degree in Business Administration while continuing to work at Saint Mary's. After more than 20 years at Saint Mary's, Gary moved on to become the Practice Administrator of Digestive Health Associates in Reno, where he was currently employed.

Gary is preceded in death by his father Joseph. He is survived by his mother Bonnie Sorge of Las Vegas; wife Kelly Sorge of Reno; sons Connor, Trenton and Trevor Sorge of Reno; brother Jeff Sorge and wife Michele of Sparks; sister Jackie Sorge-Halpin and husband John of Henderson; in-laws Roger and Marie Service of Dayton; brother in-law Ryan Service and wife Lorann of Carson City, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. He touched the lives of everyone he met and will never be forgotten.

A celebration of Gary's life will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 10, 2010 at the Mountain View Chapel, 425 Stoker Ave., Reno, NV. Reception to follow.

For everyone who knew Gary, lift a glass of great red wine (or open a can of Spam and enjoy it with cheese in a can) and toast the memory of a remarkable man who inspired us all and left us far too early. Cheers, Gary.