Dr. Carlos Edmundo Contreras Bahamonde, cherished son of Carlos Contreras and Sara Bahamonde, beloved father of Monica Contreras (Luigi Ferrara), Charlie Avendano and Jose Miguel Contreras (Amy Nicoll), grandfather to Marcello, Araceli, Meesha, Dariel and Paloma, and older brother to Gabriela and Ines Contreras.
He was born on Nov. 23, 1933, in Iquique, Chile. Arrived in Toronto on Oct. 20, 1974, as a political refugee with his former wife, Dr. Monica Avendano. He regained all his professional accreditations as a pediatric cardiologist and worked tirelessly saving children’s lives at Etobicoke General and at Sick Kids Hospital. He was a beloved pediatrician, supportive of the Latin-American community, retiring at the age of 85.
He had an incredible work ethic, and when he was not working, he was either at a concert or at a museum. He lived a full life and travelled the world, visiting thousands of museums. He loved Canada and its wilderness, which he enjoyed at his cottage. He enjoyed classical music and was a subscriber of Tafelmusik and the TSO.
He died on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, in Toronto due to advanced prostate cancer in his home, cared for by his family and dedicated PSWs (Joy and Gemma), wearing his comfy pyjamas, surrounded by his art, his collection of roosters, listening to his favourite music and without fear and pain during a nap.
The family would like to thank the staff of Princess Margaret Hospital/Mount Sinai Hospital, specifically Dr. Alexandre Zlotta, the urology-oncology team and his GP Dr. Anne Stewart who helped give him a high quality of life.
He is missed by his immediate family.
In memory of Dr. Contreras, the family would appreciate donations to the Princess Margaret Hospital.