Christopher Bruce Sorg

March 10, 1954 - September 1, 2022
Chris was born on March 10th, 1954 in Teaneck, New Jersey. He was the oldest of five children, and a leader from the beginning. Chris and his family spent many sunny summers riding bikes and surfing at Manasquan Beach in New Jersey. As a teenager, he had a great love for music, teaching himself to play piano, guitar and drums. He also participated in many sports and even broke records as a runner. As a young adult, Chris attended business school in Lynchburg, Virginia and later in Tampa, Florida. For several years after finishing university, Chris worked in the family business, Sorg Printing, in Manhattan, New York.
In June of 1979, Chris drove his sister (Debbie)'s 1974 Dodge Charger North to Alaska. On one fateful day upon heading home, the car broke down at Moose Creek Lodge, Yukon. He stayed for a week waiting for parts that never materialized, then flew home, leaving his sister's car behind. That Autumn, he was invited back to Moose Creek Lodge by Mike, the owner at the time, for hunting season. Before he knew it, he had fallen in love with the place. In telling this story, as he often did through the years, he referred to Moose Creek Lodge as a "magical" place. A short time later, he asked his dad for a loan and he and his first wife, Nancy purchased Moose Creek Lodge where he braved his first Yukon winter and many more after that. They sold the lodge in 1987, and moved to Dawson City where they opened up a restaurant/bakery called "Nancy's". Later, Chris worked in Maximillians Gold Rush Emporium (Dawson City) and eventually purchased the business. Chris moved to Whitehorse in 1995, where he and his wife Sherry purchased Mac's Fireweed Books, Paradise Alley and opened Maximillian's in the Porter Creek Mall, a shop many Yukoners still remember fondly. Since then, they have acquired several other businesses including Murdoch's Gem Shop and Midnight Sun Emporium. Chris took great pride in developing businesses that people would want to return to over and over again. His wheels were always turning, always full of new ideas to keep things fresh and keep his businesses relevant in an ever-changing world. Chris truly cared about his employees too, some of whom have become like family.
Nicknamed the "Mayor of Main Street", Chris was extremely passionate about this city and was always coming up with new ideas for improving the heart of downtown Whitehorse. He played an active role in serving the community as the president of Main Street Society Yukon, as a member on the board of Directors of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the governance council of the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Society, to name a few. He spearheaded movements to address many local issues from downtown parking to supporting local businesses to creating a more attractive Main Street. Chris always had plenty of ideas and projects on the go, always aspiring to make Main Street and Whitehorse a better experience for Yukoners and tourists alike. Even up until just days before he went into hospital, Chris was walking with councilors discussing problem graffiti areas on Main Street.
As busy as Chris was with his businesses and the community, he also spent many hours on his other hobbies such as traveling, gardening, reading, writing in his journal and spending time with his grandchildren who adored him.
Chris put up his best fight against the cancer that finally took him. He spent countless hours researching his illness in depth, becoming his own best advocate for his health. Two days before he passed, Chris whispered with what little voice he had left, "I'm not giving up.", a fighter to the end.
Chris passed away surrounded by loved ones on September 1st, 2022 at Vancouver General Hospital after a tough battle against neuroendocrine cancer.
He will be deeply missed by his wife Sherry, his four children Sean, Kynna, Brandon, and Emily, his five grandchildren Vada, Crosby, Edison, Tavia, and Keenan, his step-mom, Sandra, and his siblings Debbie (Tom), Betty-Ann (Jim), Will, Stephen (Sherry), Greg (Stacy), and Michael and by so many others in the community.
We would love to hear your stories and see your photos of Chris. Please submit any memories you would like to share with his family to csorgcelebration@gmail.com
We invite you to attend the Celebration of Life on Saturday, June 10th, 2023 at1 pm to 5 pm, Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre - The Long House.