In Loving Memory of Beth Ann Sorensen Zabriskie

On April 1, 2025, the hearts of her family were forever changed due to the sudden passing of Beth Ann Sorensen Zabriskie at the age of 89. Beth Ann Sorensen was born on October 13, 1935, in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the eldest of the six children born to Boyd Christian Sorensen and Ileen Yergensen Sorensen. Beth Ann lived a life rooted in love, kindness, and devotion to her family. She was born in the midst of the Great Depression and had always said she was proud to be a help to her mom in caring for her younger siblings. She also helped her dad all over their large farm, including learning how to drive a tractor at a very young age. She took care of all the animals on the farm, especially the chickens, but she would not milk the cows. She said that was the only job she didn’t want to do.

On April 21, 1956, Beth Ann married Oran Joseph Zabriskie. Her husband’s military obligations took them far away from family to the then Territory of Alaska (Fairbanks), where their son Alan was born in 1957. Several years later they returned to Utah, living in the town of Magna, Utah when son Gary was born in 1959. They then moved to the community of Granger, Utah (now part of West Valley City, Utah) when son Glen was born in 1965.

While living in Granger, Beth Ann and Oran remodeled, and added onto, their old coddled together small home to provide more room for their family. To make ends meet, Beth Ann took on a career at the Marriott flight kitchens at the Salt Lake airport preparing massive amounts of trays of food for flights back when you got a full meal on a flight. She worked hard at that job, many times late into the evening. Beth Ann was adventurous and even learned to drive a 1967 Ford F-100 pickup with a “3-on-the-tree” standard transmission with a clutch to get herself to and from home and the airport. Prior to that, while raising young sons, in order to supplement their family’s income, she worked part-time doing janitorial work in the evenings at a local junior high school.

Despite living on a very modest income, the family never felt poor, and family vacations were usually arranged around Oran’s letter carrier’s union conventions. By doing so, they were able to see many parts of the United States, with Beth Ann keeping a meticulous notebook log during each trip of every single expense, down to the penny, so they would have enough money to make it back home.

Beth Ann’s greatest happiness came from her family, especially her three sons and six grandsons. She was a devoted mother to Alan Zabriskie, Gary Zabriskie (MaryAnn), and Glen Zabriskie (Beverly). Her heart especially overflowed with pride and love for her six grandsons: Michael Zabriskie, Kyle Muñoz, Matthew Zabriskie, Aaron Zabriskie, Christopher Zabriskie, and Nathan Zabriskie. She cherished every moment she shared with them, celebrating their accomplishments, sharing in their laughter, and offering her unwavering support. She always put others first before her needs and always let her kids and grandsons know that “things will be okay no matter how bad things were”.

Beth Ann’s health issues and personal care needs in the final years of her life required a move to southwestern Utah to be near her son Gary and daughter-in-law MaryAnn. Once she was there, she enjoyed riding to doctors’ appointments (which are all too regular when you are older) and she loved to look out the car window and see things like the nearby mountains and red rocks in Utah’s Dixie. In the middle of a mild St. George winter, she stated that she understood why people come there to retire. Beth Ann was cared for by the dedicated assisted living staff of Primrose Retirement Community in Washington City, who provided care for most of two years, followed by the excellent care she received by the staff at The Retreat at Sunbrook Assisted Living Center in St. George over the past year, where the CNAs, med techs and nurses in the advanced care unit took such good care Beth Ann’s needs. The family is forever grateful for that compassionate service. The family acknowledges that those who take on a career working in these assisted living centers cannot be thanked enough for treating each resident as they would want their own parents to be cared for. Beth Ann always thanked the staff at these centers and always told them to “be safe out there” when they left her apartment. The family also thanks Beth Ann’s primary care physician in St. George who watched over her, and the doctors at the Heart of Dixie clinic who were there when her health required her to receive a pacemaker. Beth Ann was also proud to have received a new set of dentures once she was down in southern Utah that allowed her to smile brightly and eat normally for the first time in many years. She also always joked that getting old was not for sissies.

Beth Ann was preceded in passing by her parents (Boyd and Ileen), her husband (Oran), and two younger siblings, Ronald Sorensen and Peggy Broderick.

Beth Ann is survived by her three younger siblings David Sorensen (Barbara), April Jensen (Fred), and Dennis Sorensen (Janae), along with her three sons and six grandsons, who plan to honor her memory with the same devotion and love she shared.

A viewing for family and friends will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. MDT on Friday, April 11, 2025, at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, Utah. Following the viewing, there will be a procession to Valley View Memorial Park cemetery, 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City, Utah, where everyone will gather together again, shortly after noon, to share memories, stories, and gratitude at graveside services for Beth Ann.

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