The Life of Abraham Noordergraaf
Abraham Noordergraaf, beloved husband, father, grandfather, mentor, teacher, and scholar, Professor Emeritus, Bioengineering, Veterinary Medicine, Anesthesia, and Dutch Culture at the University of Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on May 24, 2014 at the Quadrangle in Haverford, PA in the care of his family. Born August 7, 1929, he was the younger of two sons born to Johanna and Leendert Noordergraaf of Woerden, The Netherlands.
After receiving his Ph.D. in the Physical Basis of Ballistocardiography from the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands, he emigrated to the United States with his young family to join the faculty of University of Pennsylvania School of Bioengineering. He was a favored teacher and well-known figure on campus, almost without exception sporting a bowtie and his pipe. His expertise focused on cardiovascular system dynamics and his research included such highlights as: a quantitative theory on the origin of ballistocardiogram; the design and development of a special purpose circulatory analog computer, which solved over 200 simultaneous partial differential equations in one millisecond when the most advanced digital computers could not handle this problem; development of a generalized linear theory of wave transmission in mammalian arterial systems, which contains all previous, often contradictory, linear theories as special cases; development of the windkessel as a realistic load to the ventricle; development of the first 3-port formulation of pressure-flow relations in collapsible vessels; proof of the absence of a widely adopted requirement that biological systems must have a set-point in the form of a distinct structural entity; development of the first system for stable automatic control of hypertension in humans; introduction of the first dynamic biological similarity principle; exposure of the reason why classical wave transmission theory overestimates wave velocity in capillaries by two orders of magnitude; discovery of the origin of the Korotkoff sounds, widely used in noninvasive blood pressure measurement; extension of the Huxley theory of muscle contraction to include relaxation; demonstrated that a wide range of different baroreceptor responses are contained in a single baroreceptor property; design of a clinical method to obtain total arterial compliance in vivo accurately; introduction of the concept of impedance-defined flow as a generalization of Harvey’s 1628 theory of the blood circulation; development of a paradigm for quantifying ventricular contraction.
An adventurous traveler, Bram’s work took him all over the world. He enjoyed immersing himself in home repair projects, both on a small and large scale. Bram was a master in the preparation of “pannekoeken,” Dutch flapjacks, which were the highlight of Saturday night family dinners. Family game nights often included dominoes, which Bram often won, relying on his mathematical aptitude to “count dominoes.” Among his favorite things were annual family vacations to Maine, where he taught his children to sail. Bram was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. He is survived by daughter Annemiek Young (James) of Wynnewood, PA, son Gerrit Jan Noordergraaf (Cathy) of Diessen, The Netherlands, daughter Jeske Noordergraaf of North Branch, MN (James McCarthy), and son Alexander Noordergraaf (Lori) of Concord, MA; ten grandchildren, Maxwell and Marielle Young, Jeske, Tristan, and Cyril Noordergraaf, Clay McCarthy, Vanya and Danil Noordergraaf, and Alex and Brant Foster; and many loving nieces and nephews. A celebration of Bram’s life will be held on Saturday, May 31 at the Bringhurst Funeral Home at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, 225 Belmont Ave, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, 610-668-9900. Viewing will begin at 9 a.m., the service at 10 a.m., followed by a reception. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Bram’s memory be made to: the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, 201 S 21st St, Philadelphia, PA 19103,www.fpcphila.org. Those wishing to communicate with Bram’s family may email professornoordergraaf@gmail.com.