October 28, 1950 - April 21, 2022
In loving memory ~
Longtime local schoolteacher John Nesteroff died April 21 at Columbia View Lodge in Trail at age 71.
Johnny and his twin sister Marie were born in Nelson on Oct. 28, 1950 to John and Mary (Zaytsoff) Nesteroff. He lived throughout the Slocan Valley during his youth and was a great ball player who also enjoyed badminton and other sports.
His love of physical activity later showed up in his career as a gym teacher and in his passion for mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, weeding the garden, and chopping wood. He further delighted in dancing and foraging for suziki.
John graduated from Mount Sentinel Secondary and attended Selkirk College, where he was student union president. He earned his bachelor of arts and bachelor of education from Notre Dame University in Nelson, where he was in the final graduating class.
His long teaching career began in 1974 in Strathnaver, followed by elementary schools in Quesnel, Ootischenia, Blueberry, Tarrys, and Kinnaird. His best years were spent at Tarrys where he taught primary grades and coached school sports. He retired in 2009, the year he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
He often borrowed materials from his school to bring home to his sons, for whom he would have done anything. He made a mean spaghetti sauce and the creamiest hot chocolate.
In retirement, he loved piecing puzzles together, playing cribbage and reading Iskra. He expressed his love of music through Doukhobor choir, his record collection, his powerful whistle, his tapping toes and snappy fingers.
He was quick to share both jokes and his wit.
John is survived by sons Greg (Minette Winje) of Trail and Kliph of Los Angeles; sisters Nina (Walter Hoodikoff) and Marie (Ken Kinakin) of Grand Forks; Mary, the mother of his children, of Nelson; and 10 nieces and nephews.
Burial took place April 25 in the Slocan Park cemetery.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Mountain Lake Seniors Community and Columbia View Lodge, where John spent his final years; Alexandra Butts and Zachary Schmidt of Castlegar Funeral Chapel, which had care of the arrangements; Peter Barisoff and Leonard Markin of the Slocan Park cemetery; and Bill Popoff and Peter Zaetsoff of the USCC men's group.