Apolinario "Pol" Luistro MD

Apolinario “Pol” Villavicencio Luistro MD, age 93, of Fargo, ND, passed away peacefully on 12/28/23 under the care of Bethany on University after continual decline in health from a COVID-19 infection in June 2022.

Pol was born on July 23, 1930, in Taal, Batangas, Philippines, and grew up in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines, one of 14 children born to Jose and Romana Luistro. His parents maintained a family restaurant and he and his siblings grew up working there. As a teenager during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during WWII, he had many tales of the Japanese soldiers commandeering his family home, and using the family pets as guard dogs.

Pol focused on a career in medicine, knowing that becoming a physician was a path to the better life he wanted. He attended the University of Santo Tomas, founded in 1611, in Manila, and received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1955. After graduation he started his training at St Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis, MN, from 1957-1962. Also attending training in the USA was his medical school classmate Pat Marquez MD, and Antonio “Tony” Rillo MD, who was in medical school the year prior. It was during this training that he was introduced to Rosario “Charito” Rillo, Tony’s younger sister, and Pat’s 1st cousin, and Pol & Charito married on January 30, 1960. Larry was born in Minneapolis during this period.

With a job offer in Davao City, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, Pol and his family moved back to the PHL from 1963-1966, when Eileen and Allan were born in Manila. Pol had the good fortune to start Anesthesia residency training at Winnipeg General Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from 1966-1967. A golden opportunity to complete his Anesthesia residency training became available at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN where he attended from 1967-1968. Robert was born during this time in Minneapolis.

At this point of his career, his superiors told him he was ready and prepared to practice anesthesia a year ahead of schedule, and a job opening was available in Fargo, ND, where Pol, Charito, and their 4 children moved in 1968. Pol was in private practice as an anesthesiologist with Gene Ramirez MD, and worked at St John’s Hospital in Fargo, ND, and St Ansgar’s Hospital in Moorhead, MN, with the independent physician group, retiring in 1996.

Pol and Charito always enjoyed holiday parties and gatherings, and often hosted many friends and family, where everyone was delighted by Charito’s Filipino cuisine. Pol and Charito were part of a small group of local Filipino families in Minnesota and the Dakotas, and were founding members of the Fil-Am-Min-Dak Association. It was while Pol’s children were taking their swimming lessons at the Fargo YMCA, that Pol was introduced to racquetball by long-time friend Eric, as a way to pass the time. His passion for racquetball continued well into his late-80s, playing almost daily with Dale and their group of regulars, which typically ended with coffee and breakfast at the Fryn’ Pan. While Pol was not a hunter or fisherman growing up, his friends introduced him to these hobbies while already in his 40’s. His other interests included traveling, golf, poker, drawing, and rummage sales. Pol could always be seen attending his grandchildren’s activities, concerts and sporting events. He was overjoyed to finally become a great-grandfather after Owen’s early arrival in 2022.

While Pol and Charito divorced in 1997, they remained close, and enjoyed their time with their family. Pol is survived by his 4 children Larry, Eileen, Allan (Mary English) and Rob (Val); and grandchildren Kristin (Connor) Camrud, and great-grandson Owen; Kate, Alex; and Andrew, Christopher, and step-grandchild Amanda (Matt) Dimmer, and step-great grandchild, Brooklyn; and his surviving siblings, Jose Jr. (Linda), Corazon (Bobby) Santos, Zenaida (Joe) Hernandez, Prescilla (Abe) Santos, and Evelyn Lamando, and many nieces and nephews.

Pol was preceded in death by Charito (July 17, 2018), his parents, Jose and Romana, and siblings Artemio, Maria, Louis, Rosario, Gloria, Rufino, Antonio and Dante.

In lieu of flowers, consider a memorial to Hospice of the Red River Valley, Fargo YMCA, U of MN, or charity of your choosing.