Obituary of Doris Sedra

To view and particpate in the livestream of Doris's service, please CLICK HERE.

Doris Sedra (neé Barker) died in the early morning hours of Monday, May 24, at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario, after a two-month illness. She leaves behind her husband Adel Sedra and sons Paul Sedra and Mark Sedra (Sidney McLean), and her two granddaughters Stella Sedra and Juno Sedra. Doris was predeceased by her parents William and Marjorie Barker and her sister Susan Robb. She is survived by her sisters Shirley (Safwat) Zaky and Carol (Gordon) Ramer, nephew Matthew Ramer (Jo Sears) and nieces Emily (Michael) Craven and Sarah Ramer (Dan Herman).

Born in Newmarket, Ontario, Doris spent most of her life in Toronto. She attended Western University, graduating with a B.Sc. in 1966, and the University of Toronto where she did research on hypertension at the Department of Physiology and the Hospital for Sick Children. She received her M.Sc. in 1969 and completed her doctoral work including her dissertation. However, after her research supervisor was killed in a car accident, Doris was not given the opportunity to defend her Ph.D. dissertation.

In 1967, Doris met Adel, a fellow student at the University of Toronto. The two were married in 1973 and shortly thereafter had their two sons Paul and Mark. Doris then devoted her time to raising her sons. In later years, she returned to her second love, the arts, particularly writing poetry and painting. In 2005, she published her first book The Agony and the Ecstasy, which showcased both her poetry and her paintings. She held showings of her paintings in Toronto and in Kitchener-Waterloo, notably at the Globe Studios where she maintained studio space.

To be close to her family, Doris moved to Waterloo in 2017 and lived at the Clair Hills Retirement Community. There she participated in the social activities of the community and turned her attention to drawing portraits of fellow residents and staff. With the support of Shelley Boate and her team, Doris had two showings of her work. In 2019, she wrote and published her second book, an autobiography entitled Dorie, illustrated with her paintings.

Doris was a creative spirit whose passion for the arts was a constant throughout her life. More importantly, she was a kind, loving, and much loved daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother. She will be greatly missed by her family.

The funeral will be held at 1 pm on Friday, May 28, at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo. Due to pandemic restrictions, attendance will be limited to the immediate family. However, the service will be livestreamed at www.erbgood.com by selecting Doris’s obituary. In lieu of flowers, donations in Doris’s memory can be made to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), one of her favourite charities and can be arranged through the funeral home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.