Remembering Dr. Donald F. Stark, MD, FRCPC

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Donald Stark, on January 31, 2022. His loving wife Pat was always by his side.

He served as the president of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI), Chairperson of the Royal College Clinical Immunology and Allergy Specialty Committee and started the adult training program in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at UBC where he served as the first training program director and was past president of the BC Society of Allergy and Immunology.

Dr. Donald Stark was the founding father of the Canadian Allergy Asthma and Immunology Foundation (CAAIF,) which began in 1995. At that time, Clinical Immunology and Allergy was a small subspecialty with little visibility, which was not attracting trainees. He had the vision of establishing CAAIF as a non-profit charitable foundation to help fund Fellows in our field. In his 25 years on the CAAIF Board, he never stopped working towards a future of financial self-sustainability in research and education for our subspecialty.

Dr. Stark established the fully accredited Adult Clinical Immunology and Allergy Residency training program at UBC and served as the inaugural Program Director.

His dedication to the field of Clinical Immunology and Allergy was unparalleled and made a lasting impact. This was valued and respected by his colleagues, trainees, and patients alike. He will be greatly missed.

Our deepest condolences go out to Mrs. Stark and their three children, all of whom Dr. Stark spoke so proudly.


If anyone would like to contact the Stark family personally for condolences, please send your request to CAAIF and contact information will be given. Due to health considerations for Mrs. Stark, please do not send flowers at this time.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Stark’s name can be made to the following: