By: Jane Chacko
Dr John Chacko 1934-2006
Issue: BCMJ,
vol. 48, No. 7, September 2006,
Page 346 Obituaries
John Chacko, the middle of three children, was born in Lahore, India (now Pakistan) to an American-physician mother and an Indian-professor father. On his mother’s side, he could trace his roots back to the pastor of the Mayflower and on his father’s side, to the original Christians in south India, who converted from Hinduism to Christianity at the time of the disciple Thomas.
As a child, he attended Woodstock, an American boarding school in the foothills of the Himalayas. He took his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Redlands in California and his medical degree at Harvard. He did his internship at Toronto General, where he met his wife, Jean, and his residency at Kingston General. He completed his surgical fellowship in Regina and finally settled down to private practice in Kamloops. His daughter, Sara, was born in Toronto; twin daughters, Kate and Jane, in Kingston; daughter, Leah, in Regina; and son, Andrew, in Kamloops.
In addition to his medical practice and serving as president of the BC Surgical Society, Dr Chacko was also involved in the community and was president of the Kamloops Rotary Club and the Masonic Lodge. Most recently, he was appointed commissioner of the CPP Kamloops Region by the governor general of Canada and served in this position until his death on 29 May 2006.
His pastimes included fishing, golfing, and spending time with his four grandchildren. He was described by colleagues and friends alike as a humble and truly gentle man who was kind, caring, and generous to all.
—Jane Chacko
Kuwait