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Ralph Deal

April 4, 2020
Kalamazoo, MI

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Chemist, pianist, tinkerer, photographer. Imbiber of beers and spritzers. Lover of Linux, near-infrared photography, comedy, and-despite several people's best efforts to dissuade him-rocker shoes. Beloved husband and family member. Ralph MacGill Deal lived a life of endlessly playful curiosity. He was friendly with everyone and had an infectious laugh. Equally a fan of the absurd and the marvelous, he never skipped an opportunity to explore something, even if it (frequently) meant setting aside a task at hand. Ralph was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1931. He was the middle child of Ralph MacGill Deal and Florence Hawthorne Deal (Miller). He grew up in Charlotte with his sisters Dorothy and Rebecca. As a high schooler, he attended Andover Academy. He pursued undergraduate studies at Oberlin College, followed by doctoral study at Johns Hopkins University. His postdoctoral work was done in New Hampshire and England. In 1963, Ralph and his then-wife Jean settled in Michigan, where he became a professor of physical chemistry at Kalamazoo College, a job he held for his entire career. The two of them had three daughters together: Rebecca, Heather, and Deborah. At Kalamazoo College, he enjoyed exploring chemistry with students. To his family, the school was also a place of joy; his children and later his grandchildren enjoyed playing in his office. Ralph was beloved by his students at K. In 2016, an anonymous donor provided funds for the college to create a scholarship in honor of Ralph, the Ralph Deal Endowed Scholarship for Physical Chemistry. In 1984, Ralph married Nora Evers, and the two embarked on a life full of adventures and travel all over the world. They enjoyed a beautiful home in the countryside of western Michigan. Among other things, they enjoyed exploring Ralph's heritage together. They visited relatives all over North Carolina and spent time with Ralph's sisters and their families at Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Ralph took delight in certain things that others might find disconcerting. He kept a cat skull on his office desk, a source of endless fascination to his daughters. Once, when a herd of buffalo approached the family car in Yellowstone National Park, he got out and sat on the hood and took photographs instead of driving away. On breaks from long drives, he would stand on his head by the side of the highway. He loved the feeling of being a little off-kilter and off-balance. He explored this sensation in ballet and yoga classes, and in his later years built himself a balance board to practice destabilizing and re-stabilizing himself. Ralph talked to everybody-anytime-and he enjoyed hearing their stories as much as he enjoyed talking. He was fascinated by all kinds of lives. He loved to get different perspectives, something he also focused on in his photography. He was less interested in beautiful scenes than in unusual ones, sights that opened one's eyes to new facets of things. In retirement, he worked toward his sport pilot's license and flew around Michigan in ultralight planes-another way to see the world differently. Throughout his life, Ralph played music. When his children and grandchildren were small, he played and sang with them every chance he could find. When he and Nora lived in Germany, he played with a klezmer group, switching among piano, glockenspiel, and vibraphone when needed. When they returned to the US, Ralph took up weekly piano gigs all over Kalamazoo. He joined the Portage Senior Center Band and played regularly at the Old Dog Tavern and other local hot spots. He played as much as he could, with friends and family members and by himself. Ralph has a large and loving family. He is survived by his wife Nora, his sister Dorothy, three daughters, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. His siblings' families were of equal importance to him, and he enjoyed many reunions and gatherings. When Ralph passed away, he was very much in the middle of living. His unique character will endure in the memory of friends and family. We will find a later occasion to gather and celebrate the joys Ralph brought to the world. Arrangements were entrusted to Langeland Family Funeral Homes Burial & Cremation Services, 622 S Burdick St, Kalamazoo, MI 49007. Please visit Ralph's tribute wall to leave a personal message, condolence or memory of him at https://www.langelands.com