Sam Orr Sorsby

Sam O. Sorsby May 14, 1932 – March 5, 2026

Sam O. Sorsby, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and retired Dallas police officer, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2026. He will be remembered for his dedication to family, service to his community and love of the outdoors.

Sam was born on May 14, 1932, in Texarkana, Texas, 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. At that time, the police academy was located on Corinth Street in a small park at Lamar Street, under the direction of Inspector P. W. Lawrence. He was in the Class ’67 and it consisted of 19 recruits. They were the last class to train in that building.

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, Sam 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. The weather was rainy and cool that morning and grew colder as the day went on. Sam 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. Sam, along with two supervisors, 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, Sam 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.

Sam was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed hunting and fishing and spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife, Judy; his sons, Mitchell Allen (Tori), Dale Sorsby (Christina), and George Sorsby (Lindsay); his grandchildren, Tony Sorsby (Erica) and Andrea Quantie (Kenneth); and 11 great-grandchildren.

Sam was preceded in death by his mother, Lorene; his father, Ben; and his son, Sam Sorsby Jr.

A memorial service honoring Sam’s life will be held at a later date.