John L. Ridihalgh

John Lou Ridihalgh died peacefully on December 28, 2022 after a brief illness. He is survived by his two children, Robert (Kathleen) Ridihalgh of Trumbull, Connecticut and Caitlin (Eric) Martineau, of Columbus, Ohio as well as two grandchildren Anna and Lucas Ridihalgh, sister-in-law LaRita Eadie of Columbus, Ohio and Linda Ridihalgh of Oelwein, Iowa, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Linda (Olson) Ridihalgh, his parents, brother James Ridihalgh, son-in-law Gary Didier, mother-in-law Belva Lantz, and brother-in-law David Eadie. Visitation will be Friday December 30th from 5 to 6pm at the Rutherford Funeral Home, 2383 N. High Street, Columbus, OH. John was born on August 8, 1941 in Oelwein, Iowa. He was the son of Robert and Betty (Potter) Ridihalgh. He graduated from Oelwein High School and went to Iowa State University where he obtained a degree in Nuclear Engineering. On September 8th, 1963, he married Linda Olson. They chose to raise their family in the University District where they were very proud of their home and were very involved in the community. John was an entrepreneur with over 25 patents for everything from coating powders, containers for spent nuclear fuel, Feline Leukemia therapeutic agents, cellular immunotherapy for chronic fatigue syndrome, a system for the localized heating of tissue, and the discovery of Factor C that inhibited the transmission of virally infected and tumor cells and stimulated the growth of normal lymphocytes. He partnered with some of the greatest scientific minds to tackle everything from transportation of nuclear waste, long-distance telephone networking, and revolutionary treatments for solid tumor cancers, feline and canine diseases, and chronic fatigue syndrome. One of his favorite opportunities was participating in a surgical treatment of Elsa, a lion, at the Columbus Zoo. He was one of the founders of several companies including Neoprobe, Progenics, Parhelion, Calfacior, SystmSports, Dynamic Telecom Systems, Ridihalgh, Eggers and Associates, Inc., and CIRA Corporations as well as the original Business Technology Center. He was also employed by 3M and Battelle Memorial Institute. Of these companies, he served as the President/CEO and Chairman of Neoprobe Corporation for over ten years. Neoprobe Corporation developed the Radioimmunoguided Surgery (RIGS) system that combined the technologies of a hand-held gamma detection probe and radiolabeled targeting agents including monoclonal antibodies that helped surgeons locate and define the boundaries of solid tumors. RIGS was developed in conjunction with The Ohio State University Arthur G. James Hospital and Research Institute and many renowned teaching and research institutions throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, and Israel. Lymphatic mapping for breast cancer and Activated Cellular Therapy (ACT) an immunotherapy treatment for cancer also were developed from RIGS research. John had many hobbies including travel, astronomy, and working with wood. He made several wood boats, boxes, pens as well as constructed his own telescopes, restored a houseboat and AirStream trailer. John and Linda’s beautiful home in the University District was the setting of many musical concerts, philosophical arguments, and poetry readings. His humor and avid curiosity will be missed by his friends and family. Please consider donating to the Franklin County Dog Shelter – dogs.franklincountyohio.gov or a charity close to your heart…

John L. Ridihalgh

August 8, 1941 - December 28, 2022