On the evening of Saturday, January 20, 2024, Sarina Margurite Bayer (MacKenzie) passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family. Sarina was just a few weeks shy of her 95th birthday.
Sarina's sons plan to hold a Celebration of Life event in her memory in the spring. Details will be shared at a later date.
Sarina will be greatly missed by her sons, Carl, Bill (Maryellen), Michael (Anna), and her grandchildren Alexandra, Courtney, and Parker. Sarina is pre-deceased by her husband, William, who passed away on February 12, 2011.
Sarina was born in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, in the north of India. Before the age of four, Sarina had lost both of her parents, and was adopted by Dr. Mina MacKenzie. Dr. Mina, working as a medical missionary in India, was a woman of strong character and values. These traits were clearly passed on to Sarina, as was the desire to help very poor and orphaned children in India.
Sarina pursued a career in nursing that spanned several decades, and took her from India, to Glasgow, Scotland, Nova Scotia, Montreal, Chicago, and finally Toronto. It was in Chicago that Sarina met William Bayer. Once married, they initially lived in Toronto, before purchasing the house in Mississauga that Sarina lived in for more than 60 years.
Sarina was able to continue her nursing career on a part-time basis, while raising three sons. Sarina and her husband loved to travel, and the family got to see Canada from coast-to-coast, and visited many other countries around the world.
In 1990, Sarina and her husband established the Dr. Mina MacKenzie Memorial Trust Fund (Mina Fund), which continues to operate today. This registered charity specifically focuses on using education to permanently break the cycle of poverty for very poor and/or orphaned children in India. Over the span of decades, Sarina’s contributions and countless hours dedicated to fundraising efforts have dramatically impacted the lives of literally thousands of children!
One of Sarina‘s final wishes was to continue to “help the poor children”.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a children's charity or the Dr. Mina MacKenzie Memorial Trust Fund (minatrustfund.ca).
In Loving Memory of Sarina Bayer, very sorry for the short notice, my mom's funeral service will be held at
St. John’s Dixie Cemetery & Crematorium located at
737 Dundas Street East Mississauga, ON L4Y 2B5 on
Tuesday, January 30th 5-7 PM.
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