John M. "Dr. "K"" Kistler

I was running the gleaning program at Food Share while John and Jo were helping us get those donated crops from the fields to the warehouse. We always had a good time together talking and laughing at our jokes. I was once at their house in Camarillo where John showed me his workshop. I have often thought about him after I left Food Share in 2006.

Dr. Kistler is one of my personal heroes. The legacy of the National American Tang Soo Do helped both me and my older brother work toward getting our lives back together when I lived in Jacksonville. He was an inspiration to everybody at the club. Our Sensei would always talk about how smart, enthusiastic, and tough he was. He was like our own living legend, the stories seemed resemble tall tales when hearing of how this man was a veteran in multiple wars, trained while abroad in Korea, had...

My Condolences on the passing of Dr. Kistler. We will certainly miss him. He was truly an inspiration to so many. His words of encouragement blessed me in more ways than I could realize at the time. I did not get a chance to speak to him before he passed away but I believe that we will see him again, with his beloved wife of many years here on earth, now together for eternity. Thank you Dr. Kistler.

A great man and a great educator. As Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, "His life was gentle, and the elements So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, 'This was a man!' "

My condolences to his family. I will always remember him as a friend and mentor for the many years that I knew him. He was truly outstanding.

Dear Cheryl, Lance and Family,
We know that you have missed Dr. K. for a long time since he was moved to Florida and that he is missed again because you can't speak with him directly. He was, in our family experience, bigger than life and still is. Our son David was guided by him as well as by Lance and stands as an example of how leadership by example can have a lifelong positive outcome. Each morning when we enter our garage and view one of Dr. K's profile cats, we smile and thank him...

Dr. K will always be one of the greatest men I have ever been blessed to know.

John was such an interesting and fun person to be around. We had many good times gleaning for Food Share and talking and comparing memories. We still use one of his small wooden gadgets that he gave me. I'm very sorry for your loss.

DEAR KISTLER FAMILY,
AS A FOOD SHARE GLEANER, MY WIFE RUTH & I HAVE MANY BLESSED MEMORIES OF JOHN AND JOSEPHINE. SHE HAD SUCH A PRAGMATIC VIEW OF LIFE AND JOHN WOULD JUST "GO WITH THE FLOW".
CON AMOR,
BEN & RUTH DUARTE