Cherie Ann McGhie Sorensen

Cherie Ann McGhie Sorensen passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her family on January 22, 2022, just three weeks prior to her 89th birthday. She is now our guardian angel who we love and miss, but we know she will always be with us.

She was born in Murray, Utah on February 14, 1933, the second of three children, to Frank Wagstaff McGhie and Zola Theressa Jacobs McGhie. She loved to let everyone know she was a Valentine’s baby and was named for “Mon Chéri” meaning “My Darling.”

Cherie was very social and loved meeting people in grocery lines, at the doctor’s office, anywhere she was! She could strike up a lively conversation and become fast friends with any person who would talk with her, usually sharing pictures of children and grandchildren before too long. She enjoyed making Swedish Weaving decorations and would make and give her beautiful works to family and friends. She enjoyed creating scrapbooks and painting pictures of the mountains. Her favorite mountain was Olympus Peak as evidenced by the hundreds (literally hundreds) of photographs she has taken for reference over the years!

Cherie struggled with learning disabilities her entire life, but she did not let that define her. As a young girl, her family lived in Hawaii due to her father’s occupation. She was struggling in school and asked to go live with her aunt in Utah. So, at the tender age of 11, Cherie made the return trip on her own. She loved to tell the tale of her adventure by ship and train and how a lady on the voyage took her under her wing to make sure she was safe. Cherie never let fear get in the way of her progress! As a young adult, she was afraid of guns so she decided to take a survival class to learn how to shoot and how to survive in the wilderness. She then taught hunter’s safety courses for many years.

Cherie married the love of her life, Keith Howard Sorensen, in the Salt Lake Temple on August 9, 1954, and they were the parents of three boys. Not long after they were married, Keith was diagnosed with Nephritis and suffered with this illness the rest of his life. Cherie took great care of Keith and was his nurse as well as the main bread winner for the family. She learned how to administer dialysis, which they did in their home until he was able to get a kidney transplant. She seemed to never tire of caring for him or her boys!

As the provider for the family, Cherie bought a printing press and worked from her basement printing all kinds of papers, pamphlets, and advertisements for her clients. Later she went to work at the University of Utah in their printing department which was in “The Annex.” Her work there was a topic of conversation to anyone she met having ties to the “U” as she would proudly tell them about how much she enjoyed her job and being a part of campus life. Cherie was also an Avon Lady, who probably bought and gave away far more than she ever sold. She took great care with her makeup; she never left home without two or three lipsticks in her purse.

Cherie was a faithful member of the LDS church and her favorite calling was in the nursery. She had a way with children and could calm the fussiest baby almost like magic. She was also a member of two different DUP camps and a Hawaiian Club. She always volunteered to make the address books and programs for these groups, tying back to her days working her printing press.

Cherie is survived by her sister, Sylvia Eager; her three sons: Sherman (Kathy Smart) Sorensen, Kenneth (Linda) Sorensen, and Richard (Sarah) Sorensen; her grandchildren: Amanda Sorensen, Emily (Brandon) Smith, Jennifer (Jason Doyle) Sorensen, Garrett (Alyssa) Sorensen, Kyle (Rachael) Sorensen, Zac Sorensen, Derrick Sorensen, and Cooper Sorensen. She is also survived by eight great-grandchildren and her dear friend, Jack Stowers. As a family, we would especially like to thank Jack for all he did to make Cherie happy these past few years, taking her on road trips to his land in Oakley, watching movies (many times the same one over and over) with her, and feeding her ice cream and chocolate covered peanuts! Jack kept her young at heart!

Cherie is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Keith, her brother-in-law, Todd Eager, her brother and sister-in-law, Lynn and Kristine McGhie, and her granddaughter, Meagan Faith Sorensen.

A viewing will be held at Holbrook Mortuary (3251 South 2300 East) on Friday, February 4th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. The funeral will also be held at Holbrook Mortuary on Saturday, February 5th at 11:00 am with a viewing before from 10:00 - 10:45 am. Interment: Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to Primary Children’s Medical Center to honor Cherie’s granddaughter, Meagan Faith.

For those unable to attend the services, Holbrook Mortuary is offering a live streaming of the funeral service on FuneralVue. Livestream information will be posted at a later time.