Ronald Paul Sorah, 80, of Cleveland, Tennessee, died on Monday, April 18, 2016.
Born on December 11, 1935 in Big Stone Gap, VA, his family moved to Surgoinsville, TN when he was a young boy.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Stewart and Hazel Burton Sorah; infant son, Phillip Ronald Sorah;grandson, Ronald Eugene McDowell; and three sisters, Katherine Starnes, Dorothy Thurman and Evelyn Tate.
He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at the age of 12, and answered the call to preach the gospel when he was 23 years old. He was a 1953 graduate of Surgoinsville High School where he excelled in basketball. He joined the United States Naval Reserve and served for 8 years. He was a graduate of Cleveland State Community College and Luther Rice Theological Seminary where he received a Masters of Divinity degree.
While working at the Mead Corporation for 16 years, he served as a bi-vocational pastor serving the following churches: Looney's Chapel Baptist Church, Rogersville, TN, Howes Chapel Baptist Church, Rogersville, TN and Vernon Heights Baptist Church, Kingsport, TN. He became the full-time pastor of Calhoun First Baptist Church, Calhoun, TN in 1971 where he served for thirty years, until his retirement in 2001. During his tenure at Calhoun, he performed 180 marriages, conducted 369 funerals and baptized 402 people. He served in numerous revivals and went on several mission trips. He served in various capacities for the McMinn-Meigs Baptist Association and the Tennessee Baptist Convention. He also served as Interim Pastor at Michigan Avenue Baptist Church, Cleveland, and came out of retirement to pastor Stuart Park Baptist Church, Cleveland, for 8 years.
He lived out his faith daily and was the same man every day of the week as he was in the pulpit on Sunday. Lovingly known as Brother Ron, he served as Pastor not only to his church members, but his community. Having been a member of Calhoun First Baptist Church since 1971, he was elected Pastor Emeritus in August, 2013. Always very active in the communities where he lived, he helped organize the first little league in Surgoinsville, TN and the Calhoun Cemetery Association, and served as chaplain to the Calhoun Volunteer Fire Department and Bradley Memorial Hospital. He enjoyed singing and was a member of The Roaring 50’s vocal group in Cleveland. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, and sports. He liked playing golf and was very proud of his hole-in-one. He and his wife, Margaret loved to travel and had visited all 50 states as well as the Holy Land. He was a gracious, loving, gentle man who ministered to others until his last breath. He will be greatly missed by his family, his church family, and many friends.
He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 62 years, Margaret McCullough Sorah; four children, Judith Sorah of Cleveland, Jonathan (Denise) Sorah of Calhoun, Joseph (Teresa) Sorah of Elizabethton, Jeanne (Stanley) McDowell of Calhoun; eight grandchildren, Christina (Steve) Salisbury, Cleveland, Nathan Leamon, Calhoun, Ryan Flowers, Cleveland, Paul Sorah, Atlanta, GA, Phillip (Courtney) McDowell, Cleveland, Joshua (Lauren) Sorah, Hendersonville, TN, Andrew (Alexa) Sorah, Fort Pierce, FL and Natalie Sorah, Elizabethton; great-grandchildren, Nicole Alexander, Seattle, WA, Tristen Leamon, Calhoun, Michael Alexander, Monroe, WA, Julian Leamon, Calhoun and Lillian and Linkin Flowers, Cleveland; his siblings, Leroy (Mary) Sorah, Surgoinsville, Denny (Ronella) Sorah, Kingsport, Carolyn Neal, Kingsport and Larry (Kay) Sorah, Athens; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
The funeral service will be held at Calhoun First Baptist Church, 107 Church Street, Calhoun, TN, on Saturday, April 23 at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the Calhoun Community Cemetery following the funeral service. Proudly serving their Papaw as pallbearers will be his grandsons. Honorary pallbearers will be deacons and fellow ministers.
Visitation will be Friday, April 22 from 4-8 p.m. at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Calhoun Cemetery Association, 111 Highland Avenue, Calhoun, TN, 37309 or Calhoun First Baptist Building Fund, PO Box 175, Calhoun, TN 37309.
Companion Funeral and Cremation Service has charge of the arrangements.