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Charlie Ciszek, captain of the beach catamaran "Flight Risk" lived up to that name Friday 9/24/2021 when he took off for the last time. He was an IslandAir pilot for 27 years, a boatbuilder, cruising sailor, photographer, woodworker, baker, beekeeper, and gardener. Most important of all, Charlie was a terrific husband and father, a loving brother, a devoted son, and a good friend. He was born in Bellingham WA and came to Hawaii many times in his youth before making this his permanent home in the mid-1980s. A lifelong sailor, he cruised the South Pacific aboard his boat The African Star, spending time at Palmyra Atoll, Fanning Island, Samoa, Fiji, and New Zealand. He worked for many years at the Hawaii Maritime Center on exhibits and on the restoration of the full-rigged ship Falls of Clyde while beginning his flying career. He considered flying interisland the best job in the world. He loved to travel, and loved even more to come home where he could put his lively, creative mind and skilled hands to work on the house and the yard, and welcome friends and family to the home he had made. The cancer that took him was aggressive, but he faced it with equanimity and grace, and dedicated his energy to meaningful encounters with those he loved, especially his beloved sons. He is survived by his wife Alison, sons Galen (Christine) and Corbin, his brothers Joel (Elizabeth) and Scott (Maria), sisters Ginna (Jerry) and Kate, stepbrother Paul (Elizabeth), uncle Phillip Buckner, many nieces, nephews, and cousins, and his former wives, Ginny and Laura. We wish with all our hearts that his days on the earth had been longer, but we are grateful that they were good days, and that he lived–and we loved him–fully. Fair winds and following seas.A celebration of Charlie's life will be held when it is safe to gather.
Arrangements Provided By:
Oahu Mortuary
