Jon Kastendieck – 50th Reunion Essay

Jon Kastendieck

5824 S. Highline Circle

Greenwood Village, CO 80121

jogak@aol.com

303-810-9353

Spouse(s): Elizabeth A. Kastendieck

Child(ren): Diana (1983), Douglas (1985)

Grandchild(ren): Greyson (2017)

Education: Yale U. BA 1969, Case Western Reserve U. School of Medicine MD 1978

National Service: US NAVY 69-72 LT.

College: Branford

My time at Yale offered challenges and opportunities to mature and expand my horizons. Academically, my Chem 12 experience gave me the foundation for my career in medicine, but only via a detour through an economic major, Naval Supply School, and a tour as supply officer on a nuclear missile submarine. Athletically, my “walk-on” choice to run track rather than lacrosse enabled me to set five Yale records with help of teammates (4 × 110 yds. and 4 × 220 yds. relays) of which two still stand. Coach Giegengack was a great mentor providing insight beyond running and relay passes while guiding us to become finalists at the nationals whereas no sprinter even qualified individually. (If only the US Olympics 4 × 100 runners could pass as well!) My entrepreneur experience of the Yale Freshman Handbook and student agencies led to running the bookstore coop at medical school and later investing in real estate rentals and fix and flips.

My NROTC commitment resulted in my three-year submarine tour where the physician on board exemplified the “win-win” aspect of the doctor-patient relationship towards the goal of good health and challenged my original decision to pursue a business career. On discharge, summer school of organic chemistry followed, and then two years as a gastroenterology technician at the West Haven VA Hospital while completing the prerequisites—leading to medical school at Case Western Reserve U. (1974–1978). Those great and demanding times resulted in MD degree and my classmate Elizabeth Antczak becoming my wife in 1980.

Computer matching sent me to Denver, Colorado, for internal medicine then emergency medicine residencies, ending up as chief resident, then staff physician in several hospitals until staffing at a trauma one level hospital. During residency and beyond, I authored the chapter of airway management in the first two editions of the “bible,” Rosen’s Emergency Medicine, Concepts and Clinical Practice. In my late 40s, a stroke ended my medical career; my speech therapist labeled my language deficit, equal to someone 40 years older.

Daughter Diana and son Douglas joined our world shorty after residency and truly fulfilled family life. They helped us restore an old mill as a seasonal home; built in 1744 and in the family for 64 years, it is a true Shangri-la with vistas of stream-fed cascades and pools off the “millranda.” It hosted both ours and our daughter’s weddings, both conducted by a childhood friend as pastor. Our first grandchild, Greyson, just joined the family before New Year and already is laughing and thrilling us.

Until last year, 260 years of rental unit activity (units times years) and fix and flips has kept me busy during down time and helped employ and train our kids about home maintenance. Stone wall building, gardening, traveling, antiquing, reading, and community activities provide meaningful pursuits. For example, as I interviewed Yale applicants, I shared that the transcendental aspect of Yale was the engaging peer interactions and bonding in all our activities and meals, producing the best memories and good times during my tenure there. “Boola Boola.”