Ralph William Metcalfe
Ralph William Metcalfe, 78, of Seabrook, Texas, died peacefully on June 19, 2025, with much love and support around him. He was born on October 15, 1946, in Dallas, Oregon, and grew up in Seattle, Washington where his father was an engineer at Boeing. He graduated from the University of Washington, where he majored in Mathematics, and then went to graduate school at M.I.T. where he received his M.S. and PhD in Applied Mathematics.
After M.I.T., Ralph worked as a research scientist with the fluid flow research group at Flow Research in Seattle, where his research focused on computational fluid dynamics. In 1987 he came to the University of Houston where he taught for 35 years and focused on the numerical simulation of fluid flows including simulation of blood flows and work with the Texas Heart Institute, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Baylor College of Medicine relating to the development of artificial heart pumps, cerebral aneurysms and stents. His Computational Fluid Dynamics classes often involved biomedical engineering students whose term projects required blood flow simulations. For a number of years he participated in the NIH proposal review study sessions on cardiovascular devices. Ralph loved teaching and was so proud of all his students and the positive impact he hoped he had on their lives and work. He enjoyed serving as faculty advisor to the Mechanical Engineering student Honor society and as Honors advisor to students in Mechanical Engineering. He also enjoyed serving as a consultant to Endothelix, a local biomedical business developing a non-invasive vascular reactivity testing device. Ralph also worked on simulations of flow in elastomeric seals in conjunction with Kalsi Engineering, where a number of his students’ research was supported and they then became permanent employees.
Ralph was deeply fond of his nine nieces and nephews, eighteen grandnieces and grandnephews (and one great-grandnephew) and loved spending time with all of them, enjoyed family gatherings and trips and travels with them, and hoped he had a positive impact on their lives as well. Ralph felt very fortunate to have a love of music instilled in him from an early age and studied piano with a wonderful teacher in Seattle. He continued his love of music and enjoyed informal musical sessions with a number of talented students in Mechanical Engineering over the years. In recent years, Ralph and his wife enjoyed extensive travel to a number of places.
Ralph felt fortunate, after having been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer 14 months ago, that he was able to receive outstanding care at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and he was able stay active and enjoy local friends and events, and to still travel to see family and friends on the east and west coasts, plus a trip to London and return on the Queen Mary with 9 relatives in December, and two shorter cruises in recent months. He was able to enjoy music up through his final days thanks to the talented music therapist who brought music right to his room at the Palliative and Supportive Care Unit at MD Anderson and even provided a keyboard in his room for his visiting nephew to play. The skilled, comforting and compassionate staff at the MD Anderson Palliative and Supportive Care Unit, and at the nearby Houston Hospice where he spent his last few days, and much love from surrounding family, made Ralph’s passing as peaceful as possible. He felt so grateful to have been born and lived at the best possible time and to have been able to enjoy wonderful friends, family, and colleagues, and a fulfilling career.
Ralph is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Virginia (Ginger), and his sister Lynn LaVine, and predeceased by his parents, Kenneth and Margaret Metcalfe, and his brother Alan Metcalfe
Because of geographically dispersed friends and relatives, there will not be a large memorial service for Ralph in Houston. Instead there will be a few smaller future gatherings planned in different places. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either MD Anderson or Houston Hospice. Contributions can be made at: www.mdanderson.org/gifts or www.houstonhospice.org/donate/.
Ralph was an amazing man. I recall him playing the piano shortly after his surgery. It is one of my fondest memories of him. Enjoying times with Ginger and Ralph at many occasions. He was a treasure to be sure.
Ralph, rest in peace. You were the most intelligent and curious man I ever knew. From astronomy to music to history, you lead any discussion.
Ginger, my sincerest condolences.
Ralph was to us the kindest person and best friend for over 40 years, true personification of what’s good in the world. We will miss his wit and wisdom. Ginger, our deepest condolences.
We met Ralph and Ginger for the first time in 1976, when we were both young members of the Flow Research team in Seattle. We fast became part of a smaller group with friendship that lasted for half a century. Ralph charmed us all with his sheer warmth, intelligence, piano playing with those famously long fingers, and extraordinary conversational skills. He could speak about any subject with knowledge, charm, allure, and confidence. When Flow Research went public, we all gathered around Ralph’s computer, which instantly displayed the stock’s progress; unusual connectivity for its pre-Microsoft and pre-Bloomberg era. We will always remember Ralph and his beloved Ginger.
Ralph was a gentleman with a kind heart and brilliant mind, and a dear colleague to many of us.
He was not only an MIT-trained engineer and a respected professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Houston — he was a man of deep integrity and rare humility. Whether you were a student seeking guidance, a colleague wrestling with ideas, or a friend in need of encouragement, Ralph had time for you. He listened. He understood. He made you believe in yourself — and he did it without ever asking for attention or praise. That was Ralph: dignified, kind, and selfless.
Over the past 12 months we witnessed his courage in the face of a cruel illness, stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Even as cancer stole his strength, it could not touch his spirit. He carried himself with the same grace, humor, and compassion that had defined his life. He never complained. Instead, he remained deeply grateful.
During our June 9, 2024 Zoom meeting with him and Ginger, we were moved to silence by the depth of his grace. He spoke with heartfelt appreciation for the life he had lived — how lucky he felt to have been born and raised in this country, to have attended the best schools, and to have shared an amazing life with Ginger. He reflected on his journey with warmth and humility, recalling the many friends and colleagues he had encountered along the way. His words left us speechless, in awe of his gratitude and serenity.
To those of us fortunate enough to call Ralph a friend or colleague, his passing leaves a profound emptiness — especially felt at our annual holiday gatherings. But it also leaves a lasting memory of his warm presence and enduring friendship. We are all better for having known him. And we will carry his memory forward, not with sorrow alone, but with deep gratitude.
Ginger, we know how special the bond was that you and Ralph shared. Please know you are not alone. We grieve with you. We stand with you. And we honor Ralph with every memory, every kind word, and every quiet moment of reflection.
May Ralph rest in peace. And may we all strive to live with the same dignity, humility, and kindness that he embodied every day of his life.
Ginger, our hearts are with you.💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
On behalf of the old Endothelix team — Mort Naghavi, Craig Hartley, Ioannis Kakadiaris, Mark Johnson, Tim O’Brien, Timmy Huynh, Haider Hasan, Albert Yen, David Panthagani, Michael and Craig Jamieson, and many other former colleagues who miss Ralph’s kind and gentle soul. His memory lives on in all of us.
A wonderful human being has left our family but his memory will remain in all of our hearts…Not only was he an inspiration for his students , colleagues and friends but an encouraging and engaging family member. Ralph and Ginger have created a wonderful world of dynamic and creative nieces and nephews. With their unselfish and sincere loving interest these young ladies are gentlemen have grown up with remarkable cheerleaders!!
Much love to Ginger from all of us and may she be comforted by wonderful memories
And Ralph , may he rest in peace.. with his music, a cigar and a wee dram of Laguvulin!
Uncle Ralph was an amazing example of encouragement, generosity, hope, understanding and love. From my first memories of him in childhood I recall being drawn to his smile and laugh, his desire to teach and help me to experience new challenges in ways that I could become more successful and confident. Of course riding his shoulders gave me a fantastic perspective being so high up, and Ralph going out of his way to rescue me from the ski-lift “incident” will always be in my memories. His piano playing was captivating and left most spectators smiling yet speechless for a while. I made it my goal to learn two pieces of music that he played that I couldn’t get enough of. I rode my first extreme roller coaster with Ralph, and got to ride with him on his last one, too. He took so much interest in my career, my wife and children, and my thoughts and opinions. He saw a desperate need in my life and immediately without any hesitation he filled it. Ralph and Ginger took on his cancer with all of their abilities, and gave me a wonderful gift of another year with him, and in this they taught me how precious life, family and kindness really are. It was such a great honor to be a part of their lives at the end of his, I am unable to put in to words how impactful it was for my mother and I to be there. Ralph had so much joy and love for his students, and I was able to see this connection more fully at the end, honestly wishing I would have been able to study under him (if I could handle it). Thank you Ralph for always wanting to teach, help, bring joy and warmth to others. You were as three people to me, and it has left an impact on my life. We love you very much. You did an amazing job Ginger, and Ralph was so blessed to have you. We are here
Ralph was my oldest brother and between us we shared a great love of music, especially as we also shared the gift of perfect pitch. That allowed us to create a very simple musical notation that we used to share melodies via notes and email and challenge each other to ‘name that tune’. He also broadened my musical horizons beyond classical and popular music to develop an ear for dissonance, particularly music by the composer Oliver Messiaen.
Being 8 1/2 years older than me, we didn’t have a lot of interactions as we grew up, but I have fond memories of the gentle teasing interactions we shared. I cherish those memories and will never forget how lucky I was to be his little sister.
Always sad for me to learn of a Glacier High School classmate’s passing. I remember Ralph at Glacier… a Senior while I was a Junior. I have lived in Houston for many years. Interesting to learn Ralph was a professor at University of Houston. I did not know he went to the U of W. I am a Husky too! My Condolences and Best Wishes to his family during these sad times.
Virginia, it is with heavy heart that I would like to express my sorrow for your loss of your Ralph. Know it must be very difficult for you and your family. We will keep you in our thoughts and Prayers. And always remember that GOD is in control of all of us, HIS children. May GOD bless you and protect you. Take care yourself
Love You girl. Lulu
We loved our time with Ginger and Ralph in Savannah. Ralph was an amazing person with a genuine love for everyone he came in contact with. He will be greatly missed.
Dear Ginger,
The terrible news that I have learned from Karolos Grigoriadis have saddened me very much. Ralph looked very good the last time we got together at The Raven and I did not expect such a rapid evolution of the disease.
Ralph was a special friend and a natural point of reference for me. His presence in the Department at UH played a significant role in convincing me to accept a position there, and his retirement hastened my own. The first time I entered his office – so similar to my own in Baltimore – I immediately realized that he would be the UH colleague with whom I would have the most in common, and so he was. We had very nearly the same age and shared a lifetime worth of experiences and inclinations. We shared a taste for mathematics, theory and computation. We shared interests in basic fluid mechanics. We shared a quasi-veneration for the great scientists of the generation before ours. And we both loved music. Here of course he was head and shoulders above me. I admired him and, of course, I envied him. Aside from his gift as a performer, the depth of his understanding of music was phenomenal and an inspiration. I loved listening to him, both playing and talking.
Poldine and I have fond memories of our time with Ralph and you, our pre-opera dinners and the wonderful music-filled afternoons at your beautiful house. Those are the good memories of Houston and we feel very lucky to have experienced them. Unfortunately we were busier than we would have liked with our Baltimore, Dutch and Italian connections requiring frequent travels and dislocations.
You and Ralph were so close that I can easily imagine the great sense of void you must be experiencing. Poldine and we feel very sorry for you. We embrace you and wish you strength.
With great sadness,
Andre & Poldine
I consider myself incredibly lucky and privileged to have spent 25 years in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Houston with Ralph as a colleague. A true tour de force of intellect and wit, there was never a dull moment when Ralph was around. A brilliant conversationalist, he was equally at ease discussing the intricacies of fluid mechanics, the beauty of classical music, the richness of culture, or the mysteries of the cosmos. His sharp insights, humor, and boundless enthusiasm enriched every exchange and left a lasting impression on all of us. He will be deeply missed.
Ginger,
Sue and I were so sorry to hear of Ralph’s passing. He was a very special person
Sue & Tony
Ginger,
Ralph was a wonderful friend and valued colleague to me for 22 year at UH. He actively recruited me when I joined, and you and he were the last folks in Houston to see me off when I left. In between, he and I shared our interests in fluid mechanics, the history of the science, our ideas about teaching, and our well-matched senses of humor. When I visited back in 2018 for a retirement celebration in the department, he had composed this outlandish fabricated story about my life before UH and proceeded to share it with the crowd from the podium – and then he greatly enjoyed watching me explain my way out of it to all assembled. It is the humor we shared that I will remember most.
He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.