Bains, Satinder Kaur's Obituary
Satinder Kaur Bains passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her loving family, on January 24, 2025. Born on February 8, 1956, in the village of Chhadauri in the state of Punjab, India, Satinder’s father Piara Singh Bains was motivated to give his young family a better life and moved the family to London, England in 1963. As the eldest child and at the age of 7, Satinder was given the responsibility to help her mother Swarn Kaur Bains care for the home and raise her siblings while learning a new language and going to a new school in a new country. Satinder dutifully carried out the organization of the family home and raising of her siblings while her parents worked full-time and in essence, caretaking for family that started at the age of 7 continued without a break for the better part of the next 6 decades of her life.
Satinder, known by many as Schinder, excelled at primary and secondary schools and became an example in the Indian community for acing her GCSE exams and taking advanced “A” level courses. After her secondary education was completed, Satinder was accepted into the University of Wales, Cardiff and completed her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Satinder was encouraged to pursue further education, so she elected to continue her higher education, eventually receiving a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. Many in her community found her educational achievements to be inspiration for themselves or their own children.
As she performed research work and started lecturing in colleges, she was sponsored by one of her professors to take a research job in the state of Connecticut. With her determination to excel in her field of expertise and fiercely independent spirit, Satinder happily accepted and moved by herself to the United States in the early 1980s.
Her sons Simranjit Singh Sandhar was born in California in 1987 while Babek Singh Sandhar was born 5 years later in 1992. Although away from her family in England, Satinder loved the California sunshine, friends she met at work, cousins in the Bay Area, and the sheer amount of space people had to themselves in the United States. Although she became a single mother in 1993, she felt California was still home and elected to stay in the Bay Area. Satinder courageously juggled full-time work as a Senior Quality Control Manager in Biotech while raising 2 young sons. She continued to make more friends in her career while buying her first home in 1997 in San Jose.
From 1998- 2002, Satinder faced back-to-back brain surgeries, procedures, and radiation. Her positivity, strong will, faith, determination to get better, courage, and encouragement from everyone around her helped Satinder get better to the point where she acted as if nothing big had happened after each event! At work, Satinder continued to enjoy the
regulatory side of Biotech, eventually transitioning from Quality Control (QC) to Quality Assurance (QA) for the last decade of her professional career and was an active member of ASQ for QA professionals. Satinder’s biotech career spanned almost 35 years. Aside from making friends, Satinder enjoyed contributing in biotech to pharmaceuticals that were designed to help people live better lives, from researching inhalable insulin to pharmaceuticals that helped treat multiple sclerosis (MS) and many other health conditions.
Satinder loved her calling to be a mother and enjoyed [most] aspects of raising 2 boys. She loved taking them to the movies, going out to eat, international family vacations, and taking an interest in what was important to each of them unconditionally. Satinder always said she would not trade her motherly role for anything in the world.
Satinder was an amazing mother, grandmother, sister, and friend to many. From a young age, her family and community looked up to her as a role model – she inspired people that knew her. Everyone who came in contact with Satinder have recognized her unmistakable genuine interest in their lives. Many turned to her for advice or encouragement knowing she was dependable and trustworthy.
Satinder is survived by:
Children: Simranjit Singh Sandhar, Babek Singh Sandhar, Jenna Nicole Sandhar (daughter-in-law)
Sisters: Gurdip (Rani) Kaur Bains, Amerjit (Koki) Kaur Bains, and Rajinder (Gingi) Kaur Ballman.
Brothers: Gurnek (Naiki) Singh Bains, Jagmohan (Govi) Singh Bains.
Grandchild: Josiah Singh Sandhar
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