The child holocaust survivor who devoted his life to looking after people
Dr Steve Kalowski’s life has been a triumph of spirit over the adversity and horror into which he had been born.
Warsaw, on his day of birth, June 25th, 1942, was in the second year of Nazi Germany’s decree establishing a ghetto in Warsaw.
Professor Steven Kalowski
MBBS FRS FRACP MD FLEX(Med) NYA Science
The decree required all Jewish residents of Warsaw to move into a designated area, which German authorities had sealed off from the rest of the city in November 1940. The ghetto was enclosed by a wall over 3 metres high, topped with barbed wire, and closely guarded to prevent movement between the ghetto and the rest of Warsaw. The population of the ghetto was over 400,000 Jews forced to live in 3.3 square km, with an average of 7.2 persons per room.
His parents, mother, Halinka and father, Henyek Chenchinski named him Stefan, the most Christian name they knew, in the hope that this name would allow him to survive. The family survived by posing as non-Jews with false papers,living with Henyek’s parents and other members of the family until Henyek was captured and murdered by the Nazis. Halinka and Steve survived the war, together with Henyek’s parents and other members of the family. After the war, Halinka found a letter her husband had written imploring her to re-marry should he not survive, to provide their son with a father who would raise him to love, not hate. She duly met and married Mietek Kalowski, who adopted Steve and became a true father and mentor.
The new blended family managed to get to Paris, where they eventually got permits to enter Australia. In August 1948, with Halinka pregnant, they boarded SS Derna, described by Australian author and fellow child passenger Diane Armstrong in her book “The Voyage of Their Life” as “a clapped-out vessel, overcrowded with 545 passengers”. The three-month voyage “was marked by catastrophe, conflict and controversy ‘. Those conditions no doubt brought on Halinka’s premature delivery of Steve’s sister, Jennifer, assisted by a medical student in the absence of a qualified doctor and Mietek. She was given the middle name “Derna”.
On SS Derna’s arrival in Sydney, the Kalowski family settled in Bondi. Steve attended Bondi Beach Public School in 1949, unable to speak English. He was beaten up for not understanding a question about whether his family was voting Labor or Liberal and assimilated quickly after that, even taking elocution lessons. It was at Bondi Beach Public that he established his ability to make lifelong friends. He was highly intelligent and an excellent student, qualifying for the selective Sydney Boys High School, where he excelled both academically and in sports, earning a “blue” for water polo. His main sporting love was tennis, which he continued playing until shortly before his passing.
In 1960, he qualified for a scholarship to Sydney University, where he successfully studied medicine. He proudly recalled, during his registration year at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH), saving Marianne Faithful from a drug overdose and Roy Orbison from having to cancel a concert by fixing his voice.
He decided to specialise in nephrology, initially under Dr John Sands (a member of the Sands publishing company family), who was the founder of the RPAH renal unit. He was next appointed to Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) under Professor Priscilla Kincaid-Smith, the first Australian and the first female president of the International Society of Nephrology.
In 1968 he married Joanna Ball, with whom he had a son, Henrik (named after Steve’s father), in 1972 and a daughter, Michaela, in 1976.
During his term at RMH, Steve took advantage of a two-year scholarship at the University of California in San Francisco, returning to be VMO (Visiting Medical Officer) at RMH. The family moved back to Sydney to be closer to their families. Steve was appointed VMO at RPAH and Concord Repatriation Hospital, where he established the importance of renal biopsies in renal disease diagnosis. He was then appointed acting director of NSW renal transplantation services as well as Associate Professor of Sydney University medical school. He rated one of his most treasured awards as being voted Best Lecturer in his field by his students. He established a private practice in Burwood in partnership with gynaecologist Steve Kovacs while retaining his academic and hospital roles at both RPAH and Concord Hospital. He was particularly honoured to be inducted as a Fellow of the Medical Division of the Royal Society of the UK, an international recognition of his work.
Joanna and Steve divorced after ten years, subsequently sharing the care of their children and remaining on friendly terms. Often feeling the deep loss of having not known his biological father, Henyek, Steve was determined after his divorce to be the best father he could. He gave up some of his practice to do everything he could for his children. Rick and Michaela fondly recall two of his most significant qualities as their father from this time on: his unquenchable passion for life and experiences – ‘If in doubt, just do it’, and his great gift of guiding them without ever judging them.
Steve had many interests apart from his medical career. He was a lifelong lover of skiing and tennis, and all genres of music. Rick and Michaela’s love of music comes from his passion for it.
In 1992 Steve married Andrea Rothmann, sister of Andrew Korda, Steve’s fellow medical student and long-time close friend. Together they forged a close family which became a truly blended one. Both Andrea and Steve referred to all four children as “theirs”.
Steve’s enthusiasm, curiosity and passion for life were total and endless; he had a great ability for uncomplicated joy even in challenging times. He immersed himself in everything he did: marathon running, competitive bridge, skiing, tennis, backgammon, sailing, food, wine, travel, friends, and their always warm, open and welcoming home. Their home was the venue for many family celebrations.
In his published CV, Steve summed up his life: “Overall, my life and career have been a lot of fun, brought me great joy, was always interesting and hugely rewarding. I would do it all again”.
Professor Steven Kalowski died on April 17, leaving behind his wife, Andrea, his son and daughter, Rick and Michaela and stepdaughters Antonia and Nicola, their spouses Justine, Hezie, Shannon, Florian, and 10 grandchildren, as well as his sister Jenny, brother-in-law Les and their family.
In her address at the memorial service for Steve, Andrea quoted an edited line from Psalm 24 she felt summarised the spirit of her husband: “He had clean hands and a pure heart”.
Another honorific usually mentioned at Jewish memorial services is “May his memory be a blessing”. Steve’s family, friends, and thousands of patients whose lives he saved or improved certainly believe Steven Kalowski’s memory IS a blessing.
Alan Slade is a J-Wire writer and an old friend of Steve Kalowski.
