Wednesday, July 23, 2008, rang down the final curtain upon a long-standing love affair and the life of one of this industry's strongest and most charismatic players. Ralph Hillquist drew his last breath and quietly left us. His wife of forty-four years, Sharon, was by his side as she has been for nearly half a century. Those of you who knew Ralph probably know Sharon; they sometimes seemed bonded at the hip. Yet these have always been two very independent and quite different people, each individually productive in a different manner. They truly enjoyed living, working and playing together, and they were nice people to be with individually and collectively. To know "family Hillquist" was to understand the word "synergy." Any and all of Ralph's friends understand Sharon's pain and we would do anything to reduce the grief of her loss.
Ralph K. Hillquist was born in Geneva, Illinois, on October 13, 1937, of Swedish immigrant parents, Fred and Corinne. Throughout his life, he was as proud of his Swedish heritage as he was of his educational and professional accomplishments; he would proudly respond to the nickname, "Swede." He graduated from Geneva Community High School in 1955 and attended General Motors Institute (now Kettering University), graduating with a Bachelor's of Mechanical Engineering degree in 1959. In 1961 he graduated from Case Institute of Technology with a Master's of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree. Ralph was a really good student; he was a member of Tau Beta Pi and Mensa. He viewed education as precious; that is why he and Sharon endowed scholarships at Kettering and through the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
Ralph became a registered professional engineer in the state of Michigan. He was a fellow-grade member of SAE International and a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America. He was a founder and boardcertified member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering.
Ralph enjoyed a very productive career with the General Motors Proving Ground from 1955 until 1988. He started as a coop student and came to direct all of the acoustical work of the Noise and Vibration Laboratory (NVL). He was also the recruiter and mentor of a significant number of the NVL staff. A lot of today's best automotive acousticians and vibration analysts proudly state, "I grew up under Ralph Hillquist." Pressed for details, most would add, "and it was fun!" Ralph had an often mischievous way of expressing himself; he was a bright guy with a great sense of humor.
In the two decades following his retirement from GM, Ralph remained active and productive. He continued to work with SAE in support of the bi-annual Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition in Traverse City, MI. In fact, this symposium is the outgrowth of the SAE Sound Measurement Workshop Ralph founded in 1964. His long list of publications includes contributions to Sound &? Vibration magazine, the most recent in our April, 2005 issue. Ralph published an award-winning newsletter, Ramblings from the Ridge, for residents of his condominium complex. He also found time to give help and encouragement to many of us still slogging through the mire he traversed with such ease and élan. Our "Swede" leaves behind the love of his life, two brothers, three nephews, a niece, a great-nephew, three God-daughters and a long list of young friends who wish they were his kids. He was a terrific fellow and we shall all miss him.
OSU Spectrum Analyzer Museum. Ralph Hillquist had a life-long fascination with the measurement instruments that supported acoustical understanding. He amassed a sizeable personal collection of microphones, sound-level meters, analyzers, graphic level recorders and tape recorders, dedicated instruments spanning a broad time period. Many of us have seen samples from this fine collection at SAE's Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition; Ralph would bring a table-top display to add a little historical perspective to each meeting. Now these instruments are available for study at The Ohio State University. The entire Hillquist collection has been donated to the University's Spectrum Analyzer Museum housed in the Mechanical Engineering Department's Scott Laboratory at 201 West 19th Street, Columbus, OH. Please contact Dr. Donald Houser (614.292.5860 or houser.4@osu.edu) for more information.
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Source: Sound and Vibration
