We celebrate the life and mourn the passing of Ruby Sagara, who left us peacefully on October 29, 2019, in her home at Lakeside Long-Term Care, with her children by her side.
Ruby was born in Vancouver, BC, on February 4th, 1936. As a young girl, she and her family, along with over 20,000 other Canadians of Japanese descent, were sent to the internment camps in BC until the end of WWII, at which point they moved to Ontario, and eventually, Toronto. It was here that she settled with her husband, Hank (predeceased), and raised their two children, Steve and Sandra (Wolf).
Ruby will be missed deeply by her beloved grandchildren, Sarah and David. They were her greatest joys in life, and she showered them with her generosity and beaming pride.
Ruby loved skiing, especially on “blue bird days”. She and Hank ensured that their grandchildren developed a love of the sport as well, teaching them how to ski on the slopes of Blue Mountain in Collingwood.
She was a trailblazer at the trading company, Marubeni Canada Ltd., beginning her career there as a secretary and working her way up to the position of Vice-President and Senior Operating Officer, Chemical Division. She became a “company woman” in the Japanese, male-dominated executive team, one of the first of her generation.
Ruby was known to be “feisty”, “contentious”, “intense”, and loved a good debate. Staff and other residents at her nursing home said they will miss their spirited conversations with Ruby, along with her beautiful singing voice.
Making others laugh was a gift that she gave freely, entertaining those around her with her quick wit and biting humour. Everyone has a favourite story to remember her by. Like the time she came tearing down a ski hill in France, missed the bridge, and flew over the river…
In her final years, Ruby looked forward to the simple pleasures of life - a trip to a Blue Jays game with Steve, dinner at Yumi’s with Sandra.
Ruby is gone, but never forgotten. We will miss her every day.
The family will receive friends at the Turner & Porter Funeral Home, 2357 Bloor Street West, on Sunday, Nov. 3rd, 2 -4 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 5th, 2 – 3 p.m. Funeral service will be held on Nov. 5th at 3 p.m.
For those wishing to honour Ruby’s memory, donations can be made to Muscular Dystrophy Canada (muscle.ca).