PORTLAND — Joanne Burns Sorenson, of 257 Canco Road, Unit 125, Portland, Maine gracefully passed away on Tuesday, August 24. Joanne was born in Friendship, Maine and was the daughter of Roland A. Burns and Araminta Burns, on November 3, 1931

Joanne grew up in the Great Depression and World War II, where she was the eldest of 4 children, bothers Roland, Robert and Richard. The family grew up in the Belfast, Maine area, and then moved to Lincoln, Maine where Joanne graduated high school from Mattanawcook Academy in 1949. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Farmington State Teacher’s College in 1953 and furthered her education receiving a Master’s Degree from the University of Maine. In 1953, she was also runner-up in the Miss Maine Contest. Joanne then became a school teacher and taught in the school systems of Orono, Caribou and Presque Isle, Maine, the latter where she was cadet supervisor at Aroostrook State Teacher’s College. She then moved to Camden where she taught 4th grade for 25+ years in the Camden-Rockport school system (SAD#28).

Joanne and her husband, Richard (Dick), lived in Camden, 12 Alden Street, and both taught in the school system and were active in the Community. They brought up three children in Camden: Jan, Jon and Stein Sorenson. She always focused and encouraged them in academics and athletics and all three graduated from Camden-Rockport, High School. Her 28 years there were her happiest time of her life. While in Camden, she belonged to the Knox County Teacher’s Association where during her tenure, served as President and Past President.

In 2000, Joanne moved to Portland living at Tara Condominiums on Lambert Street, Millbrook Estates on East Bridge Street in Westbrook and then finally moving to the Woods at Canco in Portland, December of 2020. While in Portland she belonged to a book club, stayed active with UMaine Farmington Alumni, the Cumberland County Teacher’s Association, and joined one of her favorite organizations, the Red Hat Club. Joanne loved to read and watch her grandchildren participate in many activities – academics, arts, church, sports, etc.

Joanne leaves with much love her three children, Jan Leslie Brogdon and her husband Matt, of Denver, CO, Jon Frederick Sorenson and his wife Karen, of Boxford, Massachusetts, and Stein Lars Sorenson of Auburn, Washington.

She had eight grandchildren, Tim and Megan Brogdon; Madeline, Jon Jr (Jack), Anna and Richard H. Sorenson (Henry); and Kai and Julia Sorenson. Joanne also leaves her husband Dick’s first family, stepson Aaron Sorenson and his wife Patti; stepdaughter Shelley and Bill Nickerson, and stepdaughter Colleen Woods and her husband Frank. She had three step-grandchildren, Holly and David Peterson and Aaron Miller.

She leaves two brothers, Roland A Burns and his wife Diane of Freeport, Maine and their daughter Kristen and son Eric; Richard and his wife Victoria of Windham, Maine and their sons Aaron, Matthew and Ethan; Matthew being special to Aunt Joanne by giving up one of his kidney’s to his father.

She is predeceased by brother Robert A Burns of Lincolnville, Maine, his wife Betty Ann, and their two children Vicki Lynn and Corey.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, September 9, at 10 a.m., at Jones, Rich and Barnes Funeral Home at 199 Woodford Street in Portland, ME, which will be followed by a reception at the same facility.

In addition, there will be a service at the gravesite at the Burns’ family plots on Friday, September 10, at 10 a.m. The cemetery is the Maplewood Cemetery, 24 Ducktrap Road, in Lincolnville, Maine.