Joan Adele “Jo” Srout Sorber, 91, a longtime resident of Oak Park and recent resident of Lombard, died on April 9, 2017. Born on Feb. 2, 1926, the youngest of three children, to Russell M. Srout Sr. and Blanche H. Srout, she went on to study at Washington University in St Louis where she received a B.S. in Nursing. She was later employed as a nurse and then a nursing instructor at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, and at Denver General Hospital. Prior to her own many surgeries, Jo was known to write on her body with basic surgical instructions such as “wrong knee” and “other side.” That practice is now considered the standard-of-care in order to avoid many “left/right” surgical errors.
In 1960, she married Gilbert E. “Gil” Sorber, and they moved to Oak Park in 1966. Two years later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was bedridden for approximately two years. By 1973, in remission, she was among a small group of women to survive breast cancer during that era and volunteered to visit women who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. She also served as a participant in the Women’s Health Initiative, a National Institute of Health decades-long research study of women’s health.
Well-known for her cooking ability, an avid gardener, and an accomplished crafter with sewing, needlepoint, and embroidery skills, she was an active member of the Christian Church, Disciple of Christ for much of her life, and attended Oak Park Christian Church, Austin Blvd. Christian Church, and after it closed, Pilgrim Church UCC.
In 1984, Jo and Gil co-founded the Austin Community Table soup kitchen. They collected donated or discounted food from grocery stores and restaurants, and she also served as substitute cook. She enjoyed international travel and, with other church members, she sponsored immigrant families from Cambodia, hosted visitors from Afghanistan, Germany, India and Mexico, and volunteered her time as a Red Cross nurse during many local blood drives and Illinois natural disaster emergencies.
In 2007, the couple moved to Lombard’s Beacon Hill retirement community where Gil died in 2012.
Jo Sorber is survived by her children, Russell E. (Elaine) Sorber and Mary K. (Peter Kropf) Sorber; her grandson, Matthew J. Sorber; her sister-in-law, Joann Sorber Mountcastle; and her many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, May 13 at 1 p.m. at Oak Park’s Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake St. Her ashes will be inurned with her husband at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to Heifer International (Heifer.org) are appreciated by the family. Arrangements were handled by Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home.
