Arthur Ciarkowski

Art Ciarkowski left this world with his family by his side on Monday, June 17th after a long battle with illness.  A close family friend said of him that he lived his values - what could be a greater compliment.  He touched so many lives with his presence and his stories and we know his community of friends, family, neighbors, and his faith community will mourn his passing.

Art was born in Detroit and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Wayne State  in 1971.  After a short stint with Chrysler he moved on to Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan where he met Janet, his wife of 43 years. He also earned additional degrees from both The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Southern California. They moved to Maryland in 1980 where Art worked for the FDA in devices and radiation health where he helped build the program for the next 30 years.  Over the years he was part of device evaluation, especially the artificial heart program, traveled the world for international standards and served as  a liaison on multiple projects.  He found time to teach at the University of Pittsburgh in their newly formed bioengineering department where he taught biomedical engineering ethics.  When he retired he left medicine behind and focused on his faith.  Although a lifetime church attendee, his walk to Emmaus solidified his personal journey with God.  He participated in many small groups, the Appalachian service project and other church missions.

Along the way Art and Jan had two children Leigh and Claire who remain the light of their lives.   In 1995  Art and Jan adopted two boys from Russia,  Arthur and Misha. Our endless house has also been home to rotating au pairs and pairs of dogs.  Art will also be missed by his two son-in-laws, Jason Priecko and Joe Dratter, and two grandsons, Jackson and Tyson Priecko, to whom he remained Papa as he was to the girls and boys.

In addition to his wife Jan and aforementioned children, Art leaves behind four sisters (the sisterhood)  Alice Paul, Carolyn Morrison, Mary Jean Tobin and Charleene Pizzimenti, and innumerable nieces and nephews. He leaves behind many good friends from work, the neighborhood of which we have been a part of for 28 years and church friends from Middletown United Methodist Church.

The family will receive friends from 10-11 AM on Saturday, July 13, at Middletown United Methodist Church, 7108 Fern Circle, Middletown, MD 21769, where a Memorial Service will begin at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Trout Unlimited, PO Box 7400,  Woolly Bugger, WV 25438, or tu.org, thereby supporting one of his favorite pastimes of fishing.