Veryl J. Mortenson, 98

Veryl J. Mortenson, of La Jolla, Calif., passed peacefully on March 20, 2025, surrounded by family, her roses and the ocean breeze.
Veryl J. Sorenson was born on July 9, 1926, in the small town of Kennedy, Minn. The youngest of 13 children born to Swedish immigrant parents Axel and Emily (Carlberg) Sorenson, she grew up in a house filled with resilience, laughter and stories. At just 18, she set out for California, spending a short time in Los Angeles before settling in San Diego. While attending college, she met John Mortenson. They married at La Jolla Cove and soon began building a life together.
Veryl and John had three children—Cheryl, Chris and Jean—and planted roots in Mt. Helix, San Diego. There, they poured their hearts into real estate development, crafting beautiful custom homes that still dot the hills of the city. John had a knack for design, but Veryl… she was the magic—offering ideas, winning over clients with her charm and legendary cooking, and always keeping the books in order.
By 1977, they traded Mt. Helix for La Jolla, building a home along what might be the finest stretch of sand in all of Southern California. Veryl fell head over heels for that town. You’d see her strolling its streets, walking the shoreline or swimming out to the buoy at the Cove. It was her haven—and she never left.
When her chapter with John came to a close and her children had grown, Veryl turned her gaze outward to the world. And oh, the places she went: China, Antarctica, Morocco, Africa, Alaska, Burma, Europe, the South Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Kashmir, Russia, Patagonia, Timbuktu, and beyond.
Sometimes she traveled alone, sometimes with friends, and often with grandchildren in tow—opening their eyes to wonders that shaped them forever.
Veryl absolutely loved to cook, and her kitchen was her sanctuary—lined with cookbooks she’d thumb through with a gleam of inspiration and a glass of wine.
She served on the boards of Charter 100, the American Institute of Wine and Food, and Mainly Mozart, and was a founding member of the San Diego Women’s Bank—a testament to her strength and vision.
Her home hummed with life and conversation, welcoming the likes of Dr. Seuss, Françoise Gilot, Julia Child, Robert Mondavi and Ronald Reagan. She flew first class on the Concorde’s maiden voyage—a memory she cherished and recounted with sparkle in her eyes.
Veryl lived grandly. She gave generously with an open heart, stood fiercely loyal to family and friends, and wove a life others might only imagine. The world feels a little dimmer without her—but oh, how brightly she shone.
She is survived by her two daughters, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. She will be deeply missed, forever remembered and always loved.