William B. Jarzembski, 75, an electrical engineer who developed medical devices for electro-anesthesia, died Monday of Alzheimer’s disease at a nursing home in Crystal Lake.
Mr. Jarzembski, who grew up in Decatur, graduated from Northwestern University in 1947 and received a doctorate in biomedical engineering from Marquette University in Milwaukee.
He was a chairman of the biomedical engineering and computer medicine department at Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock.
“Engineering was his life,” said his daughter Susan. “He was one of those people who was devoted to his speciality.”
Mr. Jarzembski specialized in electrical nerve stimulation and researched the use of electricity in blocking chronic pain for people with nerve injuries, said colleague Barry Feinberg, a former electrical engineering professor at Purdue University.
Mr. Jarzembski developed patented electronic devices for companies such as Sunbeam before moving into biomedical engineering. In addition, he served as chairman of the Health Care Technology Policy Committee for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
He also worked as a forensic engineer, helping judges and lawyers understand the technicalities behind an injury or death caused by a failed electric device, Feinberg said.
Mr. Jarzembski is also survived by two other daughters, Nancy Simpson and Donna Martinez.
A memorial service is being planned this month in Crystal Lake.
