Margene Sorenson

In Loving Memory

Our beloved Ila Margene Sorenson, age 87, passed away peacefully on January 25, 2026, in Sandy, Utah, surrounded by her family. She was a cherished mother, grandmother, sister, wife, auntie, and friend. She was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings, including teaching children in primary, leading music, teaching in the Relief Society, and working on family history.

Margene was born on May 27th, 1938, to William Woodrow Carnell and Ila Losee in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was the oldest of six children. She spent her early years growing up with two brothers and a sister in Delta, UT, near her mother’s parents and siblings, and many cousins in farm country. They later moved to Salt Lake City but spent many summers on the farm in Delta.

Music was always an integral part of Margene’s life. Both parents played guitar and sang in Western bands. They sometimes put her in an open guitar case to sleep when she was a baby while they played a gig.

Margene had a beautiful voice and used her talent to enrich the lives of others at church meetings, public events, and funerals throughout her life. As a teenager, she was put in charge of the church road shows and did an amazing job at writing the script and music. She attended South High School and worked her first job at ZCMI as an elevator girl, which helped keep her in Jantzen sweaters.

Shortly after graduating high school, Margene married her sweetheart, Blair Sorenson, on July 27, 1956. Blair was in the Navy, and they moved to Long Beach, CA. When Blair was deployed overseas to Japan, Margene moved back to Salt Lake to have their first daughter. They had six children together.

Margene attended business school and then worked as a secretary for Steiner Corporation and Pyke Manufacturing. Her first boss mentored, educated, and enlightened her about investing in real estate as a way to grow a family business and be self-employed. Together, she and Blair purchased and built several rental properties as they raised their family over the years.

Margene was incredibly creative and always looked for ways to bring in extra money through her entrepreneurial ideas in order to have more flexibility with her children at home. She created marketing companies and opened several shops. Some highlights were selling Artex paints at the Utah State Fair; selling thousands of homemade crafts at Mormon Handicraft which included cinnamon spice ropes, bread basket center pieces, painted wood letters, necklaces and magnets; opening Calico Gifts in Foothill Village; going to the Los Angeles and Dallas Gift Shows to find unique items to sell; selling candy and gifts at the Christmas Dicken’s Festival; selling antiques at the Quilted Bear and many other endeavors.

Margene had a passion for travel and convinced Blair that owning a timeshare at Snowbird would be a great idea in 1976. Every mid-January, the family packed up and had an incredible mountain vacation for a week. Everyone would get out and ski except for Mom, who would stay back to relax and cook a delicious dinner of homemade soup or spaghetti. Margene and Blair bought a few more timeshare weeks to trade, and their vacations expanded to other parts of the country. These vacations created many wonderful memories.

Margene was very committed to researching her family history and completing temple ordinances for deceased family members. She collected photographs and stories from her genealogy research and traveled to England twice to obtain records to fill in the blanks. She also collected photographs and stories from living relatives and shared the family history albums with her entire family.

Most importantly, Margene loved her family. She was a loyal and devoted cheerleader to her children, granddaughter, and siblings, and supported them in any way she could. She always encouraged them to pursue and excel in their interests and wanted to know about the ups and downs in the lives of those closest to her. Margene was a friend to many and especially took those who needed help the most under her wing. Her family and friends could always count on her, whether she was there in person or talking on the phone.

In her later years, she lost most of her eyesight due to macular degeneration and preferred phone interactions. Her mind was sharp until the end, and she wanted to be involved and included in all the business decisions.

We will miss you and are eternally grateful for your love and support to all of us!

Margene is survived by son Matthew, daughter Marcy Nelson (Randal), granddaughter Sarah Pulley (Scott), great granddaughter Aidalyn, sisters Carol Lynn Vredeveld, Charlene Schmidt, and brother Jack Carnell. Preceded in death are her husband, Blair; children, Tammi Jo, David, Steven, Bryan; brothers, Bob Carnell and Tom Carnell.

A viewing will be held on Friday, February 6, 2026, from 6:00-8:30 PM at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E, Dimple Dell Rd. (10600 S.), Sandy, UT. The funeral will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Granite View Stake Center located at 9880 South 3100 East, Sandy at 11:00 AM with a viewing prior to the funeral services beginning at 9:30 AM.

To view the service, please click on the blue tab above that says "Watch Services".