February 15, 1930 - April 30, 2019
Dr. Johannes (Johs) Asfeldt died earlier this year. He was living in Kamloops at the time of his passing. Many Yukoners, who now are in their forties, met him but may not remember him. In fact he would have been the first person they met in their lives as he delivered over a hundred Yukoners in the half dozen years he worked here in the mid to late seventies. He served as the Territory's first resident specialist in obstetrics and gynecology .
After graduating from medical school in Copenhagen, Denmark he practiced briefly in Denmark before entering a residency program in Kansas City, Missouri. Upon completing his residency he practiced for a short while in Missouri and North Dakota before joining the Grenfell Mission in Newfoundland. With a growing family (three sons and a daughter) he needed a bit more stable life and moved to the Yukon where he practiced for the better part of the 1970s. After a brief stint in Minnesota he moved his family to the booming town of Fort McMurray, followed in short order by moves to Dawson Creek, Camrose and ultimately Kamloops. While in Dawson Creek he began a commitment to volunteer service in Africa ultimately both practicing and teaching in Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Johs's second passion in life, after delivering medical care in underserviced and remote areas, was aviation. If he wasn't to be found in an OR he most likely was above the ground in the left seat of his beloved Piper Archer C-GWEU.
Johs ultimately succumbed to the ravages of Parkinson's Disease. He is survived by his wife, four children, three step-children, nineteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He will be remembered fondly by his multitude of colleagues and the literally thousands of patients who benefited from his care and surgical skills.
In memory to Dr. Johs Asfeldt donations would be gratefully accepted to Dr. Paul Thistle, Karanda Mission Hospital, Zimbabwe, c/o Team of Canada, #372-16 Midlake Blvd S.E., Calgary, Alberta, T2X 2X7