In memoriam- Jacques R. Poortmans (1933-2022)

 
Jacques R. Poortmans left us on the 26th of February 2022 at the age of 88 years. He was a great scientist known internationally for his work in Sports Sciences, particularly on the biochemistry of physical exercise.  

Jacques was born in Schaerbeek, one of the municipalities of Brussels in Belgium, in 1933. His childhood of life was marked by World War II. Moreover, despite his good school performance, his parents could not pay for his studies after the primary school certificate. Therefore, he decided to start vocational training.  During the quieter post-war period, Jacques joined the Scouts as a “cub”. He will never forget the celebrated values of the Scout movement: solidarity, loyalty, courage, determination…     
Jacques continued his vocational training from 1947 to 1950. After having hesitated between furniture making and mechanics-electricity, he opted for the latter, although he always said that he remained a poorly convincing apprentice who could make clocks run backwards or cause unexpectedly a short circuit. It was during his vocational training that Jacques met a Physical Education teacher (Louis Somers) who radically transformed his professional life. With him, Jacques became a fan of Physical Education and decided to change his career and become a Sports teacher.  When Jacques asked him what to do, Mr Somers told him…to get first his vocational training certificate! After having done this, Louis Somers helped him to prepare for the entry exam to the “Ecole Normale de Bruxelles” (where teachers for primary school are trained). He passed the exam brilliantly. The next four academic years were very exciting for him, but marked by money problems. Nevertheless, Jacques obtained studentships (based on his academic performance) that allowed him to finish his studies. Then, Jacques became Physical Education teacher in primary school, got married, and left, as was normal at that time, for 18 months of military service as reserve officer.
In 1956, on suggestion by the physical education inspector, Jacques registered at the Free University of Brussel (ULB), while continuing working as a Physical Education teacher. During his university studies in physical education, he met again Louis Somers, who had become assistant professor at ULB and who helped him to obtain a specific status that allowed him to continue working and to “gain the bread for his family”. During these four years at ULB, Jacques was initiated to laboratory work by Dr. René de Lanne, and at his side he started his first research work on “kidney and exercise”. Unfortunately, Dr René de Lanne died prematurely of heart attack, at the age of 48 years. This convinced Jacques to continue working on kidney and exercise to keep his legacy alive.
Jacques started his PhD work in 1960, by studying the changes in protein concentration in plasma and urine samples in fonction of different exercise modalities. At the same time he continued working on a voluntary basis in the former laboratory of Dr René de Lanne where he could focus on what interested him most. In 1964, at the age of 31 years, Jacques received his PhD degree with honours, and with at least 12 international scientific publications! This was followed by a contract for few hours of biochemistry teaching at ULB. In this period, Jacques set up his own group to pursue his own research interests. Concomitantly, his thirst of knowledge led him to register for the a molecular biology diploma… Through his scientific networking and his now international renown, in 1965 he obtained a position as Research Fellow in biochemistry at Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA) and was awarded important funds to develop his research work. To his great despair, he could stay there only for two years because his family wanted to go back to Europe, and more precisely to Belgium.
From 1967 to 1972, Jacques went back to his job first as assistant professor then as associate professor at the University of Brussels (ULB) thanks to professor Marcel Segers, his former holder. He continued working in the biochemistry laboratory and published many articles. He also created the “International Research Group on Biochemistry of Exercise” in 1967 and organised the first International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference (IBEC) in June 1968 that was attended by more than 100 researchers from five continents. The IBEC meetings are still held every three years, and we are now at the 18th edition.
In 1972, Jacques became Professor in physiological chemistry at what was then known as the Institute of Physical Education and Kinesitherapy (at ULB). He remained faithful to his university and became vice-rector for student affairs from 1978 to 1982 and then Sports advisor for more than 20 years. Thanks to his persuasive capacities and his tenacity with the university authorities, Jacques has helped many disadvantaged students by obtaining social aid from the university to help them to continue their formation.
During his scientific career, Jacques Poortmans published more than 300 articles in national and international journals. He officially retired in 1998, but continued his research work till 2019, year of his last peer-reviewed article at the age of 86 years! He also wrote more than twenty books, including the one on “Biochemistry of exercise “ that is very well known in the field of Sports Sciences and of which he shared the writing with unlimited goodwill and kindness. This book in French has been re-edited three times and recently has been translated into Portuguese.
Besides his international prominence, Jacques was a passionate man with simple tastes. His fondness for Roman art, classical music, travelling, and also for physical activity, through mountain hiking and running (he trained for his first marathon at the age of 58 years!), made of him a very charming person.
Jacques loved to communicate and pass knowledge, first to his students, and also at conferences and at invited lectures. He could make complex notions very accessible, and could finish under the applause of the entire audience a lecture that given by another person would have been disheartening. During PhD defences, he always brought for the student the famous Belgian pralines that he loved so much…
Jacques has been always curious and enthusiastic. It is often said that when a scientist passes away, a library burns. Jacques’ departure is first and foremost the loss of a human being that was altruist, modest, passionate, devoted to his family and friends, and also to his colleagues, and particularly to all his students who filled his life. We already miss him and his memory will stay with us for ever.

Nathalie Boisseau
Antonio Jr Lancha
Jacques Duchateau