Preben Bjerregaard Obituary (2026)

Dr. Preben Bjerregaard, M.D., D.M.Sc., of El Dorado Hills, CA, died on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the age of 84. Born February 6, 1942 in Hansted, Denmark, Preben was the son of the late Emil Robin Pedersen and Karen Henriette Laurentine Olsen. While attending medical school, Preben met Ria Skovholm Knudsen, a nursing student. They married on June 4, 1966 in Kolding, Denmark. Preben graduated from the University of Aarhus Medical School in 1969. He completed a fellowship in cardiology at Oklahoma University Hospital in 1974. Preben and his family returned to Denmark where he worked at Aarhus University Hospital. While there, he continued his research in electrocardiography and earned a Doctor of Medical Sciences degree in 1983. After completing his dissertation, Preben had a varied career, including a stint working at Al-Bitar Hospital in Bagdad, Iraq in the late 1980s. Preben and his family immigrated to the United States in 1989, where he later became a Professor of Internal Medicine and the Director of the Arrhythmia Service at Saint Louis University Hospital. He also held the positions of Director of Electrophysiology and Pacemaker Service at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, Professor of Internal Medicine at Washington University Hospital, and Director of Electrophysiology at the VA Medical Center, all in St. Louis, Missouri. While a professor at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Preben identified a new deadly hereditary cardiac condition, Short QT Syndrome. Preben had a life-long love of music. He started playing the accordion when he was 5 years old, and later learned the guitar and piano. He loved jazz, and had amassed an extensive Oscar Peterson music collection. Preben was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Preben is survived by his wife Ria, his son Torsten Bjerregaard and wife Janka of London, UK; daughter Dorte Bjerregaard of Chicago, IL; and son Jens Bjerregaard and wife Nicole of Granite Bay, CA; and five grandchildren: Natalie Probstein, Karina Probstein, Claudia Bjerregaard, Annika Bjerregaard, and Erik Bjerregaard. In addition to his parents, Preben was preceded in death by his sister, Vibeke Rasmussen. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.