Hanover, N.H. —
Philip was born April 7, 1932, in Boston, Mass., the son of Philip and Suzanne (Aldrich) Drinker. He grew up in Newton and Cambridge, Mass., and attended Shady Hill School and Phillips Exeter Academy, class of 1950. Philip received a B.S from Yale University in 1954 and a PhD from MIT in 1961. He taught fluid dynamics at MIT until 1965, leaving to set up the Division of Biomedical Engineering at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. His research there focused on artificial organs, in particular the membrane oxygenator (heart/lung machine). In 1975 he was asked to set up the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and served as Chief of the department until his retirement in 1990. After retirement he worked at Hood Labs for several years, studying airway morphology using acoustics.
Philip was an accomplished wood worker, and played French Horn for most of his life. In later years he combined those two hobbies by building alphorns, on which he and his trio performed at various events. Other hobbies included ski patrolling, disking behind his lobster boat, summers on Somes Sound in Maine, and playing guitar.
Philip is survived by his beloved wife Margaret Lawrence Drinker of Hanover; a son Philip Drinker of Springfield, Vt.; three daughters; Margot Stephens of Norwich, Vt., Julia Siegfried of Beaufort, S.C., and Elizabeth Drinker Hopkins of Eastport, Maine; a sister Mary Eliza Scudder of Altadena, Calif.; and six much loved grandchildren. He was predeceased by a sister, Susan Moran.
A graveside service will be held at a later date in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass. Condolences may be expressed in an online guestbook at www.knightfuneralhomes.com.