Sam O. Sorsby, 93, a devoted husband, father, grandfather and retired Dallas police officer, died peacefully on March 5, 2026. He was born on May 14, 1932, in Texarkana, to Ben and Lorene Orr Sorsby.
He was raised in the Texarkana area and began working at the Lone Star Ordnance Plant in 1950. In October 1959, he became a Dallas police officer. He was in the Class of 1967 which consisted of 19 recruits.
He began patrol duty in February 1960, working out of the White Rock Substation before later transferring downtown, where he patrolled Old Districts 103 and 104.
On November 23, 1963, he was assigned to a security detail at Love Field at 7:00 a.m., along with approximately 40 other officers, to help protect President John F. Kennedy upon his arrival in Dallas. He was stationed under the left wing of the presidential aircraft as President and Mrs. Kennedy greeted several hundred people gathered behind a chain-link fence. Along with two supervisors, he remained at the airport until the press plane departed. In the days following the assassination, he was also assigned to help guard the body of Lee Harvey Oswald.
In 1966, he was assigned a walking beat in downtown Dallas to help store owners and security officers deter shoplifters. In 1968, he became an investigator in the Crimes Against Persons section.
He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed hunting and fishing and spending time with his family.
Mr. Sorsby is survived by his wife, Judy; sons, Mitchell Allen (Tori), Dale Sorsby (Christina), and George Sorsby (Lindsay); grandchildren, Tony Sorsby (Erica) and Andrea Quantie (Kenneth); and 11 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and his son, Sam Sorsby Jr.
A memorial service honoring Sam’s life will be held at a later date.