In Memoriam: Planted in Memory of Niel Jorgen Sorensen
Niel Jørgen Sorensen - As the tree in a forest who knows no stranger, so was Niel.
Like many Danes, he was a consummate agriculturalist, naturalist, and scientist. His students, colleagues, and peers loved him as he employed his enthusiasm, passion, and abilities to create solutions where often there appeared to be none. As he would have it, he was often not noticed, yet wherever he had been, he left a legacy difficult for the next person to fill. Niel always focused on those people and the things that mattered most.
He spent most of his years strengthening the Church’s Mission in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and America, where he believed he could make a humble difference. At Southern University, his fingerprints and handiwork can be found in The Garden of Prayer and the many other nooks, terraces, and landscapes developed over several decades.
Niel worked in Southern’s Landscape Services department from 19? to ? While his children attended local schools, including Southern. He died on campus in 1999 doing what he loved: running the race track and staying fit for service. This Willow Oak was planted in his honor the same year.
