Jesus Castillo Obituary

Dr. Jesus B. Castillo passed away peacefully with his family by his side.

A devoted husband, father, lolo, brother, funcle (fun uncle), friend, mentor, and compassionate physician and surgeon in Kennewick for over twenty-three years. Dr. Castillo was a lifelong adventurer who was not afraid of taking a calculated risk. He loved traveling, dancing, playing high dollar slots, lotto scratchers (his name may still be found in the Kennewick Yokes Grocery store as a scratcher winner), and trying exotic foods.

Dr. Castillo was born in Davao City, Philippines, to Maria Asunción Bautista and Simon Mendoza Castillo as the fourth of seven children and the only son who survived childhood. His mother sold pomelos and bananas at the local fruit stand, and his father played saxophone at a local nightclub. From these simple beginnings and with the sacrifices and generous financial support of his older sisters Macaria (Caring) and Rita he rose to attend the University of Santo Thomas in Manila graduating in 1961 with a medical doctorate degree.

During the height of the Vietnam War, the United States was quietly suffering from a shortage of doctors. In 1962, he was recruited to come to the United States to begin the practice of medicine in Yonkers, New York. With only twenty-five dollars in his pocket, he left the Philippines to begin his grand adventure. At the same time, his medical school sweetheart, Dr. Angelita Q. Alto, was recruited to practice medicine in the United States, but she was sent to Youngstown, Ohio.

Dr. Castillo began his obstetrics and gynecology residency at Harlem Hospital and convinced Dr. Alto to leave Ohio and join him in New York. They married in 1963 and started their family in Brooklyn. In 1971 the family moved across the Hudson River to New Jersey where he joined a private practice in Passaic.

In 1977, he had the opportunity to take over a private practice in Kennewick. The family embarked on their collective adventure by moving across the country from the big city of New York to the small town of Kennewick where Dr. Castillo practiced obstetrics and gynecology and Dr. Alto practiced pediatrics. He was particularly proud of his work in caring for both mother and child to deliver more than 6,000 babies. When talking about their patients, Drs. Castillo and Alto would sometimes say that he birthed them and she raised them.

Drs. Castillo and Alto retired together in 1999 and began their next great adventure of traveling to six continents and over fifty countries, including all fifty of the US States, frequently including extended family in their journeys.

Drs. Castillo and Alto were active parishioners of St. Joseph Parish for 45 years, were instrumental in building the new church, and cared deeply for their many parish friends. In 2022, they left the Kennewick communities that they helped to build and moved to San Francisco to be near their children James, Jess (and his wife Cristine), and Cheryl (and her husband John and their children Micaela and Nicolas).

Dr. Castillo is survived by his children and grandchildren, and by his eldest sister Rita Olayvar of Davao City, Philippines, younger sister Luzminda Ordiales of Kissimmee, Florida, and countless nieces, nephews and cousins with whom he always found a way to keep in touch and encourage them on their life journey. He was preceded in death by his wife Dr. Alto and his sisters Aurora Butiu of Kennewick, Washington, Macaria Hernandez of McAllen, Texas, Teresita Castillo of Davao City, Philippines, and his first born sibling and infant brother Restituto Castillo, of Batangas, Philippines who passed at only six months.

The family held private services. Memorials may be sent to Dr.Ca[email protected].