Dr. Robert (Rob) James Sargeant passed away peacefully on November 28,2021 surrounded by his wife Karen Sargeant (nee Cherry) and sons Matthew and David Sargeant. In addition to being missed by Karen, Matthew and David, Rob will be dearly remembered by his father Pastor Douglas Sargeant (Dorothy), sister Tamara Biancaniello (Steve), brother Tim Sargeant (Jacqueline), parents-in-law Carman and Marney Cherry, sisters-in-law Nancy Whiting (Sam) and Sarah Cherry (Jamiel) and nieces and nephews Allison, Colin, Victoria, Miles and Otis.

Rob practiced General Internal Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto, where he was able to combine his two passions - caring for his patients and teaching medical trainees – for his entire career. Making a medical student or resident laugh in front of a patient, or vice versa, was one of his favourite things, and he loved telling Karen stories of those moments during their daily commute downtown. Rob was diagnosed with brain cancer just over a year ago. His great challenge, in the nine months prior to that, was creating and running the COVID-19 ward at St. Mike’s. Like he did with every endeavour, Rob rose to the challenge and, working with an incredible team of physicians, administrators, nurses and allied health professionals, created one of the province’s safest and most efficient units.

Rob loved practicing medicine but it was his passion for cycling that always left him smiling. In addition to the thousands of kilometres he pedaled on the roads north of Toronto, Rob loved cycling the big mountains in Europe and BC. His favourite spots, however, were the hills surrounding Bancroft, Ontario. It was in that area where his mother Marie (nee Musclow) was born (and laid to rest in 2011). He frequently visited the Musclow homestead and the Sargeant cottage built by his father’s family. Rob shared these roots with all of his 40 aunts and uncles, 45 cousins and 75 second cousins.

When he wasn’t at the Hospital or on the bike, Rob loved spending time with Matthew and David. He shared a passion for chemistry, history and politics with Matthew, and a love of baseball with David. Some of his favourite times were scouring the museums in Europe with Matthew and watching the Blue Jays’ spring training in Florida with David.

If the boys were his best friends, Karen was Rob’s soulmate. From a relationship that started in the swim lanes at the University of Toronto, survived a wedding engagement in a Zellers parking lot, took on big debts for medical school and moved on to celebrating everything from birthdays to mortgage burning parties, to vacations cycling mountain passes by day and enjoying good wine, great music and better friends at night, Rob spent the last 26 years married to his favourite person in the world. He could not have been happier about it and he hesitated to tell no one.

Rob never gave up his love of medicine. He didn’t mind his many medical appointments in the last year at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre because there he could talk medicine with his primary care team, including Dr. Arjun Sahgal, Dr. James Perry, Dr. William Geerts and Dr. Elie Isenberg-Grzeda. Rob and his family are also grateful to the team at St. Mike’s who initially cared for him, including Dr. Charles Kassardjian, Dr. Walter Montanera and Dr. Sunit Das, his Physiotherapist Alexandra Chen, his PSW Alex Clinton and the Palliative Care team led by Dr. Russell Goldman. Special thanks to Theresa Villa who has been with the family for 17 years, caring first for Matthew and David, and then for Rob.

A final thank you goes to Rob’s father Doug. The relationship between a father and a son can ebb and flow over 54 years. Their bond grew stronger than ever over the last twelve months as a pastor’s compassion proved an invaluable support. The entire family is thankful for Doug’s incredible strength.

Visitation will be at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre (375 Mount Pleasant Road) on each of Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4 from 2-4pm and 6-8pm. A service will be held St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at 73 Simcoe Street in Toronto on Sunday, December 5 at 2:30pm. Both venues require proof of vaccination and photo ID.

Rob’s final gift to the medical profession is the fund he and Karen created to assist the General Internal Medicine Department at St. Michael’s Hospital. To celebrate his life, Rob’s family invites you to make a donation to the Dr. Rob Sargeant Fund for General Internal Medicine, through the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation.