Sirkka Unelma Saarinen was an devoted wife, sister, mother, mother -in-law grandmother, aunt, friend and child of God. She was born in Turku, Finland on June 29,1927. On Saturday, August 3rd, 2024 she went to be with her Lord Jesus. We prayed, sang and said goodbye to her at Sunneybrook Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. Sirkka lived a very long and incredibly full life. Sirkka married Ake Saarinen in 1953 in Turku, Finland and they immigrated to Canada with their two children, Kalevi and Kimmo, on July 28, 1958. Jasmine was later born in Toronto, in 1966.

Sirkka and Ake were very well known for their contributions to the Finnish community in Toronto. They owned and ran three Finnish bakeries: Parkway Bakers on 290 Queen St. West, Turku Bakery on the Danforth and later, Hillside Bakery on Lawrence Ave. East. Sirkka accepted Jesus as her Saviour in the late 1970's and soon after, joined Saalem Finnish Pentecostal Church where both she and Ake were involved in the music ministry. Sirkka loved to host parties and feed her guests, to sing in the kitara kuoro and the Saalem choir, to spend weekends with Ake and friends at the cottage in Parry Sound and above all, she loved her children, grandchildren and great grand child. She was known for her funny enthusiastic energy, her resilience, her authenticity, her generosity and her smile. She was a blessing to her whole family as well as to her friends, to her church and to all those who cared for her in her final years at Suomi Koti.

Sirkka was predeceased by her husband Ake Mikael Saarinen who went to be with the Lord on February 13, 2001. She was loved by her family, Kalevi Lahde, Janet Lahde (Jan 25 2024), Kristiina Lahde and Adam David Brown, Samantha Lahde, her great grand-daughter Amelia, Kimmo Saarinen and his wife Tuula, as well as Jasmine, Laurent, Felix and Willem Tauveron. She will also be missed by her brother Veikko Vaisto and her sister Eeva-Liisa Kinnunen in Finland, as well as many friends at Saalem Finnish Pentecostal Church and in the Finnish community. We say goodbye with a heavy heart but know that you are happy and singing now in a choir of angels. "Aiti kulta, vie Isille terveisia ja nahdaan pian taivassa!"