Dr. Ralph A. Zingaro

1925 - 2026

Dr. Ralph A. Zingaro

Oct 27, 1925 - Feb 5, 2026

Dr. Ralph A. Zingaro, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Texas A&M, passed away peacefully at home on February 5, 2026. The youngest of five children born to Raffaele and Erminia Zingaro in the Bensonhurst ("Little Italy") neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, he celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2025 with his family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 75 years, Mary Joan Zingaro; his daughter Michelle, daughter Lisa and her partner, Cliff Smith, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was "bonus grandfather" to Macy Freireich, the granddaughter of his close friend, the late Emil Freireich, and step-grandfather to Emie and Yvonne Sullivan, the daughters of Michelle's late husband, Jay Sullivan. In his final days, he received loving care from Monica Eusebio, who he insisted on calling "Madonna." Ralph's interest in chemistry began when he discovered his older brother's chemistry set. At age 16, he received a full scholarship to the City College of New York, and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Kansas. He worked in industry for several years, but his desire to do basic research eventually led him to Texas A&M where he arrived in 1954. He was a Fulbright Scholar, a member of the American Chemical Society, Sigma XI, and Phi Lambda Epsilon. He authored over 400 publications, including 100 since his retirement in 1995, and held five patents related to the development of darinaparsin, for which he was honored by the Texas A&M System with a 2007 Patent Award. He enjoyed teaching as well as research and was beloved by his graduate students and undergraduates alike.

The achievement of which Ralph was most proud is the development of the cancer-fighting drug darinaparsin, an organic arsenic compound he created in 1979. After receiving NIH lab test results showing the compound to have powerful anti-cancer effects, he worked tirelessly to find funding for further research. After hitting a lot of dead ends, a cold call to a physician at Sloan Kettering led to an introduction to Dr. Emil Freireich at M.D. Anderson. Dr. Freireich saw the potential, and together they were able to obtain funding for research and development of the drug. It is now being marketed in Japan by Solasia Pharma K.K. as a treatment for peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Efforts are underway to make it available in other countries, and to explore its use in fighting other types of cancer.

A service for Ralph will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 21, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 300 Nagle St., in College Station. A Celebration of Life will follow at The Benjamin Knox Gallery & Wine Bar, 405 University Drive East.

Ralph doted on his pets. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Ralph may be made to the Aggieland Humane Society, Twin City Mission or to the charity of your choice.