Dr. Satya Vrat Sood was born on May 7, 1933, in Miwani, Kenya, a small village located near the City of Kisumu, which had sprung on the lands of a large sugar mill.

Satya, or “Sat”, as he was known, was the second youngest of the five children of Durga Dass Dhupa and Lila Vati Dhupa.

Sat loved to tell stories of growing up in this small African village. He had a real mischievous streak. He would entertain his family with tales of how, as children, he and his friends would trouble new teachers in the local elementary school by, for example, surreptitiously splashing ink from their inkwells onto their teachers’ crisp white formal shirts as they patrolled the aisles of the classroom.

They would also tease local shopkeepers by repeatedly asking to buy goods that they didn’t sell – for example, demanding that a goldsmith sell them onions, and pretending not to understand why the shopkeeper would not transact with them.

From a very young age, Sat was an avid and accomplished athlete. He was the captain of the local cricket and field hockey teams and was invited to try out for the Kenyan national Olympic field hockey team for the 1956 Olympic Games.

Rather than continue to pursue athletics, Sat decided to shift his focus to his education. After studying medicine at Birmingham University, he specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was the first Kenyan to become a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of London, Edinburgh, and Canada.

In January 1970, Sat married Kusum (nee Duggal), the love of his life. In May 1971, their son, Sanj, was born.

Sat wanted to make a good life for his young family. He knew that, notwithstanding their education and accomplishments, opportunities for Indian doctors in the United Kingdom at that time were, and would continue to be, limited. He therefore looked for opportunities overseas.

Even then, Canada was seen as a land of opportunity and hope, and when an opening arose in Regina, Saskatchewan, he seized it, apparently choosing not to explain the differences in climate between Nairobi and Regina to his wife!

Together, they built a life in a foreign land. Their daughter, Monia, was born in 1973. In 1977, the family (other than Monia, who acquired citizenship by birth) became proud Canadian citizens.

Sat practiced medicine in Regina for 25 years. Among his personal accomplishments of which he was most proud was becoming a professor of medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.

In the mid-1990s, Sat and Kusum returned to England to retire close to their extended family. Monia followed them to study, and then practice, law.

Sat remained active in retirement. One of his proudest achievements was to research and author a book - Victoria’s Tin Dragon - about the building of the railway in Kenya. He was beside himself when he succeeded in getting it published and revelled in touring bookstores, schools, and libraries throughout England to speak about the book.

Sat was a proud member of the Rotary Club of Medway, and for twenty years, he almost never missed a weekly meeting. He was tasked with making the opening toast each week. He immensely enjoyed researching Rotary Clubs throughout the world and providing lengthy toasts about them which detailed their history and the history of their location (no doubt to the chagrin of some members who wanted to get on with their pint!). Their appreciation of him was shown when they made him an honorary lifetime member, an honour that touched him to his core.

In 2016, Sat and Kusum moved back to Canada. Sat enjoyed reading at his home in Richmond Hill. He had a vast knowledge of various cultures, religions, and world history – especially the history of India, which he had mastered. He also closely followed and remained a steadfast fan of his beloved Manchester United, despite their inability to provide much joy in the last decade.

One of his happiest moments was when he saw his granddaughter, Raya, who was born during the Covid-19 pandemic, for the first time. He and Raya were especially close, and she made a habit of leaving one of her stuffies with him every night to keep him company as he slept. In his last few months, her voice was the one that would, without fail, make him smile.

Sat was a gentle, caring, man who adored his family. He loved music, singing out loud, and dancing. He had a keen wit and loved to tell a good story over a nice meal and a glass (or two!) of wine. Sat loved his food (especially desserts) and had a passion for cooking. He took it upon himself to cook Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners from scratch, seeing any offers or attempts to help as interference. His process took the entire day, and we all had to wait a long time to eat, but it was always worth the wait.

Sat made friends easily and was always the life of the party. He loved to travel, and in his lifetime, journeyed throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. He instilled his love for travel in his children, along with a love for reading, and the importance of education.

He leaves behind Kusum, his beloved wife of 54 years, his daughter Monia and her partner Ian, and his son Sanj, his daughter-in-law Reena, and of course, his granddaughter Raya. Although he will be missed immensely, those of us who are left behind are blessed with their memories of the many good times that they had together.