DR. ALLEN RUSSELL CIASTKO

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DR. ALLEN RUSSELL CIASTKO February 23, 1943 - October 18, 2016 Peacefully on October 18, 2016 in Kamloops, British Columbia. He will be missed by wife Val, son Martin, stepdaughters Jennifer (Dave) and Megan (Danny), grandchildren Milo, Iggy, Aslan and Tavis, brother Norman, sisters Carol (Michael) and Lisa (Smiley), and nieces Hayley and Lindsay. Predeceased by parents Carl and Ida Ciastko. Allen attended Sisler High School in Winnipeg and received his medical degree from the University of Manitoba. A nurturing and curious man, he was one of the first doctors to work for the Northern Health Unit, Churchill, Manitoba in 1967. Subsequently he became a pediatrician and practiced in Kamloops until 2002. He promptly packed his bags and along with Val volunteered in Nepal for two years, followed by one year in Kenya and Lesotho. These were his first experiences in communal living and he really enjoyed the local cultures and taking part in daily life such as the locals do. In 2004 he won the Distinguished Community Paediatrician Award from the Canadian Paediatrics Society, in recognition of a significant contribution to the field of community paediatrics. Compassionate and generous, he expected nothing in return. Most recently he had been involved with a sustainable community project called the Rarebirds Housing Cooperative (rarebirdshousing.ca), a housing project in Kamloops. Among family and friends he was known for his optimism and light hearted sense of humour. His love of nature was evident in his avid interest in photography, hiking, and extraordinary travel agendas to favourite places including Europe, India, South America, Indonesia and Thailand. A stroke in Mexico, a place he and Val loved dearly, weakened his body but his spirit remained. A celebration of Allen's life was held on November 5, 2016 in Kamloops.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 26, 2016