Patricia Aakhus

Patricia Aakhus
Evansville, Ind.
On the evening of Wednesday, May 16 2012, Patty Aakhus's body, 59, surrendered to cancer. Her spirit continues to inspire her family, friends, colleagues, and students as we recall with awe her remarkable courage and sweet temper throughout her illness.
Patty was born in Los Angeles on May 17, 1952, to Lowell McDowell and Betsy Nichols McDowell, both of whom preceded her in death, as did her brother Mark.
Patty attended University of California at Santa Cruz, where she earned a B.A. in theatre arts, and studied fiction writing with George Hitchcock and Raymond Carver. Later, she earned an M.F.A. in writing from Norwich University (Vermont).
Over the past 30 years, Patty has taught at the University of Southern Indiana, where she served as associate professor of English, director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, and program director in International Studies. In recent years, she taught large sections of introductory courses in international studies, classical and world mythologies, and the history of magic. In addition, Patty organized and led annual, campus-wide colloquia focusing on such topics as the Parthenon, the Ram in the Thicket, the Day of the Dead, walls, and rivers. She regularly advised about 75 international-studies undergraduates and helped them arrange for study abroad.
Moreover, Patty published three novels arising from Irish history; The Voyage of Duin's Curragh, Daughter of the Boyne, and The Sorrows of Tara, all based on epic poems she translated from Old Irish. Her interests in Renaissance art, history, and magic led to research, which resulted in her paper "Gems, Poetry, and Patronage of Lorenzo de Medici," published in Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft. And her facility with languages contributed to her winning the Scavone Award in Medieval Studies for her libretto based on her own translation of Chretien de Troyes's Old French poem The Knight and the Lion. Until just weeks before her death, Patty continued to work on a new novel and on a study of iconography in Italian and Sicilian churches.
Patty Aakhus was a woman not of "interests" or "hobbies," but rather of passions, none more important than her family. She leaves, both to mourn her and to rejoice in her life, her husband of almost 33 years, Michael Aakhus; her son, Halvor Aakhus (Evansville); her daughter, Erin Aakhus, and son-in-law, Ashesh Shah (Indianapolis); her brothers Bruce McDowell (Prescott, Ariz.) and John McDowell (Los Angeles, Calif.); her sister, Leslie Blunden (Reno, Nev.). Patty often expressed extraordinary pride in her children, loved them deeply, and adored their tender affection, and care of her during her illness.
In addition to family, Patty loved teaching, loved her students, delighted in preparing for classes, and introducing students to many new worlds, real and imaginary. For students, she kept an open office door and an open heart, eager always to assist those eager to learn.
Another of Patty's passions was pets. At the time of her death, Patty and Michael owned and cared for two dogs, Luna and Leo; seven cats, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Nike, Humaba, Nimbus, Caesar; and two cockatoos, Abelard and Alfonso. Over the years, Patty had also owned and trained horses.
She adored travel, never shrinking from driving her stick-shift rental car down narrow, gravel or dirt tracks, then leaping across a deep rift in order to climb to a mountain monastery with a particularly interesting icon needing photography. Nor did she hesitate to fly to countries whose language she didn't know, presenting a scholarly paper at an international conference, and then spending a month seeking the almost-hidden beauty in villages and towns, staying at small inns, tasting local foods, chatting with men and women running shops, cafes, and ferries.
According to Patty's wishes, the family will hold no funeral, but will arrange private memorials later for friends, colleague, and students. Those wishing to memorialize Patty may contribute in her name to the International Studies Travel Fund for students through the University of Southern Indiana Foundation, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, Indiana 47712.
Finally, among Patty's other important passions were chocolate, kettle potato chips, and prosecco—often separate, but sometimes together. Patty possessed, too, the gift of laughter and generosity so that she readily could turn an occasion into a party. For those gifts, and for her intelligence, sweetness, and courage, we carry her with us always.