Angenieta Biegel, FA

Angenieta Anne Biegel, M.D., FACP Professor Emerita, passed away April 11, 2008 at the St. Vincent Hospice. She was born July 18, 1928 in Gorinchem in the Netherlands, the only child of Hendrik J. Biegel, Attorney at Law, and Hermina L. van der Kint. Her father died as a hostage in prison during the German occupation, and her mother returned to teaching and hospital management to provide for her daughter?s education. Dr. Biegel was educated in local public schools during World War II, then followed her grandfather, Salomon Biegel, in the study of medicine and received her M.D. degree from Leiden University in 1956. After one year as a physician in the Amersterdam Klinik for Allergic Diseases, Dr. Biegel accepted a Fellowship in Allergy at Duke University, and then joined the IU School of Medicine in 1960 as a Fellow in Allergy, Intern and Resident in Medicine. She completed a second Fellowship at IU in the department of Microbiology, began her academic career as an Instructor in Medicine in 1965, became a United States citizen in 1963, achieved full professorship in 1980 and retired as Professor Emerita in 1992. Her distinguished medical career included 40 years of direct ...[more]

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ient care. She also trained and mentored medical students, lectured, contributed to 70 publications, conducted research and developed and ran the Histocompatibility Laboratory for organ transplantation at the Indiana University Medical Center. Dr. Biegel was a valued staff physician at IU, Riley, Wishard and the VA hospitals. Professional societies included the American College of Physicians, American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunology (ASHI), South Eastern Organ Procurement Foundation (SEOPF), United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and various state and regional medical societies. She served as an Inspector for Accreditation, nationally and internationally, for ASHI and UNOS laboratories; consulted on immunology committees for the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); was an invited participant in international workshops in Japan and Brazil; served on the editorial review board of teaching manuals in Histocompatibility and Immunology, and was instrumental in the development of these new areas of study. After retirement, Dr. Biegel continued to serve her community as a volunteer for: IUPUI Archives Rare Book Collection, Executive Service Corps, Lake Forest Home-Owners Condominium Association, Soroptimist International of Indianapolis, Association of International Women, Indy Reads, the Ladoga Library, and PrimeLife Enrichment, receiving such honors as Soroptimist?s International ?Woman of Distinction? award, the Indianapolis Council of Women?s Volunteer Award and the Executive Services Corps? Above and Beyond and Frederick M. Hadley awards. In 2007, she received the Honorary American FFA award, Other category, for help in constructing and recording its electronic database, as well as the Hoosier Lifetime Award for her many years of exemplary volunteer service. Her hobbies included gardening, cooking, reading history and mysteries, and extensive travel as long as her health permitted. She also collected pottery, with a particular focus on bird figurines. Her mother came to the United States in 1964 and lived with Angenieta for 20 years until her death in 1984. Mrs. Biegel greatly enjoyed her life in the U.S.A., and was a great friend and devoted traveling companion to Angenieta. Dr. Biegel is survived by cousins, nieces and nephews in the Netherlands, her adopted Nepalese daughter, Baba Drow, and her husband, Jay Drow, of Ann Arbor, MI, and many local friends. Memorial contributions in honor of this extraordinary woman may be made to the Indianapolis Ronald McDonald House, PrimLife Enrichment, and the IU Foundation, Angenieta Biegel Friends in Immunology Fund, which provides stethoscopes for medical students in the IU Eldoret-Moy, Kenya Medical School. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Further information in this regard is available through the office of Ms. Tamatha Stevens, esq., 3755 E. 82nd Street, Ste. 200, Indianapolis, IN 46240. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Leppert Mortuary, Nora Chapel, 740 E. 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240, www.leppertmortuary.com.