Dr Avrum Jay (Avi) Ostry was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba, on 4 March 1958, to George and Anne (Lev) Ostry, and later joined by two brothers, Mark and David.

In July 2021, Avi was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. As a pathologist, he was well aware of the implications of his disease. He was a pragmatist and faced his disease with courage and forthrightness.

Avi studied marine biology and medicine at UBC (1985) and achieved a postgraduate degree in pediatric pathology at BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital. He did further training in cardiac pathology (Mayo Clinic) and breast pathology. He practised in Sydney and Halifax, NS, and finally as an anatomic pathologist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Avi was also an associate professor in pathology and laboratory medicine at UBC and was involved in medical school admissions at UBC and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada examinations in Ottawa. He was also director of medical laboratory services for Yukon and parts of Northern BC.

Avi died at home in Sechelt, a place he loved, with his wife Fran at his side. He will be missed by Fran; daughters Leah (Peter) and Neshama (“Nikki”); grandchildren Rebecca, Blake, and Isla; and the families of his brothers Mark (Margot and Neve) and David (Lesley, Julia, and Sarah). His love ripples out to extended family members, cherished friends, and colleagues. We remember Avi for his humor, kindness, intelligence, loyalty, and philanthropy. Avi was a force in our lives. We deeply love and miss him. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Myeloma Canada at https://myelomacanada.ca [10].
—Fran Ostry
Vancouver

hidden

[11]

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License [11].