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What Happened
Chris Randall Sorensen was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 16, 1960, to Robert and Wanda Sorensen. A gifted guitarist, he first made his living as a professional musician, sitting in with bands including Earth, Wind & Fire, Lonestar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Huey Lewis and the News, and Foreigner, before following his father into the fire service.
He served four years with the Brevard County Fire Department and one year with the Jacksonville International Airport Fire and Rescue Department, then joined his father at the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, where he served for more than ten years as an Engineer and EMT.
In 1994 he and his younger brother, Robin, opened a restaurant of their own design in Jacksonville and named it Firehouse Subs. Chris was the creative force behind its look: every restaurant carries a mural of the fire and police service of its own town, and he kept the company's history as its archivist. Over 27 years the brothers grew Firehouse Subs to more than 1,200 restaurants, selling it to Restaurant Brands International in 2021. In 2005 he co-founded the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to give first responders lifesaving equipment, tools and training; it has awarded more than $118 million in grants to some 7,700 departments in the United States and Canada, and he counted it his most meaningful achievement.
A musician, artist, collector and student of history, archaeology, paleontology and the space program, and a cancer survivor, he made St. Johns, Florida, his home for thirty years. Chris Sorensen died peacefully at home, with his family at his side, on October 11, 2026, aged 65. He is survived by Kirsten "Puschel," his wife of 43 years; his son, Eric; his daughters, Steffi and Brittany; six grandchildren; his parents; and his siblings Lisa, Robin, Cecily and Chadwick.
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- October 25, 2026
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- October 25, 2026
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Brevard County Fire Rescue
Jacksonville Aviation Authority
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue
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