Constantin Nick Ciocazan, 85

Constantin Nick Ciocazan, 85, passed away at home on March 4, 2025, with his family at his side. 

He was preceded in death by his wife Paulina. He is the father of Elena (Viorel) Negoi, Magda Ciocazan, grandchildren, Nathan, Michael, Christopher, and Sebastian. Nick was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1939 and immigrated to the United States in 1986. He was joined by his family members throughout the proceeding years, as communist Romania spilt the family apart. 

Nick was the oldest of two boys, and lost his mother at the age of five. His father was a policeman who raised his sons with a strong work ethic and encouraged their education. Nick eventually became an international truck driver, going as far as Greenland, Siberia, India and Egypt. 

Life in Romania was increasingly more difficult, with closed borders, little food or basic resources and no freedom of speech. Nick had seen a better life outside of Romania. As the fastest international truck driver in the country, he was often allowed to go solo on short European trips. It was on one such occasion that he decided to not return and seek a new life in “the land of opportunities,” the United States. 

Nick was granted political asylum and settled in Arizona, where he would spend the next 20 years as a truck driver for Shamrock Foods. He eventually retired to God’s country in 2011. He spent the last few years first, caring for his wife and later, being cared for by his daughters until he was laid to rest.

We invite you to join us for the memorial service at Sandpoint Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2235 Pine St., on Sunday, March 16 at 3 p.m. The service will be live-streamed at youtube.com/@SandpointSDA. If you wish to donate toward the family’s funeral expenses a line item is dedicated at the church’s online giving link at adventistgiving.org.