Dr. Ralph Arlinghaus

1935 - 2020

Ralph B. Arlinghaus PhD
1935-2020
Dr. Ralph Bernard Arlinghaus, 84, of Bellaire, Texas passed away on February 28, 2020 surrounded by his loving family, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Ralph was born on August 16, 1935 in Newport, Kentucky to Elmer and Loretta Arlinghaus. He attended Catholic elementary and high schools and graduated first in his class from the University of Cincinnati's College of Pharmacy in 1957, followed by a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1959, culminating in 1961 with a PhD in Biological Chemistry. He married Barbara Ann Meyer of Cincinnati, on September 7, 1957. They welcomed their first two children, Karen Sue on October 9, 1958, and Kimberly Ann on March 20, 1960. After moving to Lexington, KY in 1961, where Ralph completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky Medical School, they welcomed their third child, Mark Richard, on February 19, 1965.
Tragically, Barbara received a terminal diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), after which Ralph and family moved to Southold, Long Island where Barbara could receive cutting edge treatment at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Barbara succumbed to CML in 1967.
Ralph met the next love of his life, Catherine Price Robinson. In September 1968 they married and soon after, Cathy adopted Karen, Kim and Mark, bringing love and healing to the new Arlinghaus family.
Ralph's work shifted to curing CML and after giving a talk at UT MD Anderson in Houston, TX, he was offered a position in the Department of Biology. He and Cathy decided to move their family to Houston in 1969. On November 22, 1970, Paul Wesley was born, rounding out the Arlinghaus clan.
San Diego became their next stop, where Ralph took on vaccine development at Johnson & Johnson Biotech Center and Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California. He was then recruited back to MD Anderson in 1986 as Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Pathology.
Ralph's passions were his family and his work, but he did find time to become a devoted Houston Astros fan, along with his wife Cathy. He was an avid fisherman, gardener, reader, and movie lover, and enjoyed spending time with Cathy at their beach house in Galveston. He also found time to celebrate the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren in academics, sports, music and careers. His brain was big but his heart was bigger and everyone who called him family or friend treasured him. Ralph will be missed but lives on in his oak trees and orchids, kids and grandkids, students and papers, and the boundless generosity of his loving wife.
Ralph was a loving father, husband, grandfather, and friend to everyone, possessing a generosity rarely seen in this world. He is survived by his wife Cathy, of 51 years; daughter Karen Moss and her husband Tim, grandsons Matthew Owens (and wife Jennifer expecting daughter Scarlett Price Owens), James Owens, step-grandsons Brandon Moss (wife Deirdre, sons Conner and Alex), Grant Moss, Blake Moss; daughter Kim Arlinghaus and her wife Phinney; son Mark Arlinghaus and his wife Tania, granddaughters Bailey Amaral (and husband Spencer) and Riley Arlinghaus; and son Paul Arlinghaus and his wife Tamara, grandson Nicholas, and granddaughters Sasha and Ava, along with many more nieces, nephews, and extended family. Ralph was preceded in death by his first wife Barbara, his parents Elmer and Loretta, his sisters Dolores, Marilyn, and Alma, and his brother Paul.
A special thank you to the loving community at The Gardens of Bellaire who cared for him like family; the wonderful nurses with Blue Bonnet Palliative Care who brought him comfort in his final days; and the kind staff of A Sacred Choice for being very accommodating and understanding at this difficult time.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, March 6, 2020 at Saint Philip Presbyterian Church, 4807 San Felipe St, Houston, TX 77056. A reception will follow immediately after the Service in the Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the MD Anderson Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Ralph B. Arlinghaus Scholarship Fund (go to giving.uth.edu/memorial) or the charity of your choice.