Tara Singh Sahota

Tara was born in the Punjab region of British India, in what is now Pakistan. Following the Partition of British India in 1947, Tara and his family crossed into India, where they settled on a farm about 30 miles away. They grew wheat, corn, and sugar cane (the last of which likely resulted in his love of sugar). Tara attended the Panjab University where he completed his BSc (Hons) in 1959 and MSc (1960), then moved to Canada in 1962 to attend the University of Toronto.

In Toronto, he met his wife, Marian, and completed his doctorate in Zoology specializing in Entomology. He valued education deeply and remembered his time in Toronto fondly. In 1967, Tara and Marian moved to Victoria, where his research efforts with the Pacific Forestry Centre resulted in many scientific publications and an award for Scientific Excellence for his development of ecologically based management of the white pine weevil. He retired from the Pacific Forestry Centre in 1999 following over 30 years of service.

He enjoyed poetry, golf, and gardening, and showed an unwavering love for his family, who he kept close. Tara is predeceased by his two brothers, Mohinder and Joginder. He is survived by his wife Marian, children Nina (Ward), Monique (John), Paul (Anne), and Rob (Amie), eleven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. He will be greatly missed.

Tara’s family would like to thank the staff at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Palliative Care unit for their care and support during his last weeks.

A Celebration of Life will be held at First Memorial Funeral Services, 4725 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC, V8Y1B4, CA, on August 28, 2026, at 2:00 pm.