Holly Sorenson Buck walked into Rich Wollensak's Waterbury, Vermont dental office, told of her experience as a hygienist, noted they both had five-year olds in school together, and pretty much said: "I want to work here and you need to hire me." Lassoed by Holly's outgoing personality, and probably lured further by her trademark smile and modest laugh, Rich said: "You're in!" That was 1995, and so blossomed a wonderful 25-year relationship, both professionally and as families. But sadly, this ended June 24 th , when Holly died of ocular cancer, at her Waterbury Center, Vermont home. She was 63.   Over those years, Holly's patients would eventually offer children and grandchildren, who were endeared to her kind warmth, grace, humor, confidence, and a listening ear.  Holly was shy of the lime light, but she couldn't help herself. Her straight forward person would tell it like it is, give sage advice, and defend her patient's best interests.   Holly was born in Forest City, Iowa on December 21, 1955, the fourth of five children from Morris and Wilma (Houston) Sorenson. With Holly still a toddler, they pulled up stakes and reestablished farming in Maine, first in Newport, then eventually Norridgewock. She was a smiling little blond youngster, always holding animals or running bare foot about the farm, and sold vegetables from a little roadside wagon her father built. Innate with animals, she absolutely adored horses. She would leap bareback and barefooted onto her horse named Inky, and race through the fields, her hair flying with the wind! Holly learned the necessity and pride of hard work; her father having said she was his best farm hand. Her confidence and ability took charge of their 45,000 chickens and the hired help, plucking eggs every day. These lessons played out her whole life, as did commitment to family, even when times were tough.   She graduated from Skowhegan (Maine) High School in 1974, and in 1977 the Maine School of Practical Nursing as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). In 1987 life's twists and turns found Holly a single mother of three, living in Cabot, Vermont, working at the nearby medical center. The in-house dentist suggested dental hygiene as more lucrative, so off she went, to the University of Vermont, family in tow. Holly, teenage daughter Heather, and young boys Aaron and Todd, jammed into the student housing, and she balanced the tasks of mom, student, and studying when able. She graduated on the dean's list, June of 1990, with an Associate degree in dental hygiene.   Then there was this guy from a dinner date that was very smitten with this amazing woman. A week before she graduated, Holly married Rob, and that fall son Christian was born. They settled into South Hero, Vermont, a wonderful neighborhood for two young boys, and Heather finished high school with all that went with it. Holly was also enjoying her new career, especially the one on one bond with her patients.   The family moved one last time to Waterbury Center, in 1994, where Holly adored their house on the hill, pouring her soul into it. She built a stone walk and wall, redid rooms, worked with dear friend Cal who could fix or build anything, and was known to be seen up on the roof doing who knows what. When the mail person first came to the house, a toilet sat on the front lawn as Holly replaced it with a new one. She was always in motion, and with commonsense knew what she was doing, or figured it out. She wanted to do it and you let her do it! Flowers adorned, as did a garden that would feed throughout a winter. She occasionally raised sheep, pigs, and chickens, and it was real sport watching Holly wrestle a lamb back behind the fence! On occasion you might see her walking along the dirt road with a leashed sheep, and the family dog, Sugar, following behind.   Holly enjoyed skiing, tennis, kayaking, golf, violin, or whatever made her curious, volunteered for the Waterbury Ambulance, and Doctor Dinosaur Tooth Tutor program. She also loved traveling the world, but especially returning to Maine and its wild coast.   Her high school yearbook quote said: "There are many philosophies of Life…has anyone thought of just Living it." She did, with her modesty not seeking the grandiose, but instead a job well done and along the way gave so much, to so many.  Missed will be her infectious laugh…you might not see Holly, but you knew she was there.  The cancer came, and the 15-month battle tried its very best, with Holly persevering tenaciously, with optimism and grace through it all. She wasn't afraid but told her dear friend it was a boring death. When asked if she considered something like being eaten by a bunch of bears, Holly retorted: "Well that would be exciting!"   Most difficult was how to explain things to her three-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter: "Abbie, you know I'm really sick." "Unh Huh" "Well it's going to make me go away, and I won't be back." "Where are you going?" "I really don't know, but if you see a wild horse running through the fields, it's probably me."   Holly was predeceased by her parents, and niece Wendy Vigneault. Also Moe the cat, Sugar the dog, numerous others from years past, including Inky the horse, all her sheep, pigs and chickens whose names were poorly recorded, and as many squirrels as possible because they ate last year's pear crop, the day before they were to be picked, and Holly was really ripped! She leaves behind many kind friends, relatives, and is survived by her husband, Rob Buck, daughter Heather Calhoun and spouse Orly of Tucson, Az., son Aaron Sorensen and wife Boya Zhang of Montpelier, Vt.,  son Todd Healy of Fairfield, Me, and son Christian Buck of Waterbury Center, Vt. Also, sister Bonnie Sorenson and husband Mark Gauthier, of Manchester, Ma., sister Becky Vigneault and husband Edward of Winthrop, Me., brother Edmund Sorenson of Meriden, Ct., and Dana Sorenson and wife Susan of Layton, UT.  Her grandchildren are Zachariah Calhoun, Hanna Healy, and Abbie Sorensen, with nephews Erik Henderson, wife Vivan, son Daniel, and Jonathan Vigneault, wife Erika, sons Drew and Cody.   In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated for the Waterbury Ambulance Service, PO Box 95, Waterbury Center, VT 05677 or Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641 ( www.cvhhh.org ).   A celebration of Holly Sorenson Buck's life will take place July 21, 2019 at 1 p.m. at the Blush Hill Country Club, 141 Lonesome Trail, Waterbury, Vermont with a reception to follow. An RSVP to [email protected] would be appreciated. Assisting the family is the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences please visit www.perkinsparker.com  or the funeral home Facebook page.

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