Joan C. Blythe

“So may'st thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop / Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease / Gathered, not harshly plucked, for death mature."

-John Milton, Paradise Lost

Joan Heiges Blythe, 83, a longtime Santa Fe resident, distinguished Milton scholar and Professor Emerita of English at the University of Kentucky, died peacefully on February 1, 2026 in Santa Fe.

Born October 20, 1942, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Joan was the daughter of Donald R. Heiges and Mary Kump Heiges. Her father was a Lutheran theologian who served as President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and Philadelphia.

Joan received degrees from Wittenberg University and the University of North Carolina. During her 30-year academic career as Professor of English Literature at the University of Kentucky (1970-2000), she specialized in John Milton's poetry—particularly Paradise Regained—and its connections to medieval literary traditions. Joan was a regular presence at the International Milton Symposium, most recently delivering a plenary address at the 2019 conference in Strasbourg on Milton's influence in Napoleonic France.

She had a passion for teaching, and won the University of Kentucky Great Teacher Award in 1988. Her former student, English major and current UK basketball coach, Mark Pope, recently said, “Dr. Blythe [was] one of my favorite professors in the history of my academic experience at Kentucky…and I love her to this day.”

Joan’s life partner, John Clubbe, was a Byron scholar and author of Beethoven: The Relentless Revolutionary, who preceded her in death on February 24, 2022. Their partnership included decades of shared intellectual work, art collecting, music appreciation, Santa Fe hikes, and global travel. Following John's death, Joan continued to champion his work, presenting his Beethoven biography at a Santa Fe Library Friends event.

An interest in architecture brought the couple to New Mexico, where they purchased a home on Canyon Road in Santa Fe in 1996 and became part of the city's vibrant cultural community. They filled their home with art, especially works by local artists, building a collection that reflected their deep connection to the southwest and Santa Fe's creative spirit.

Joan was also a devoted philanthropist, serving as longtime president of the Josephine Ardery Foundation, a private foundation she founded in Lexington to support Kentucky arts and culture.

She was a member of Santa Fe Pro Musica and regularly attended Chatter concerts. She remained active in her yoga practice and ballet training until her final illness—dancing en pointe to the end.

Joan will be especially remembered by her many friends in Santa Fe and across the globe for her zest for life, and her deep caring and support for those of all stations in her wide orbit.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Carol Sue Reinhardt. She is survived by her nieces, Kristin DuBois of Polo, Illinois and Debra Givan of West Lafayette, Indiana, and their children.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, February 13 at the Quail Run Clubhouse, 3101 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe. There will be an informal gathering time at 5:00 followed by toasts at 5:30. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Santa Fe Pro Musica, 1512 Pacheco St Ste. D201, Santa Fe, NM 87505, or online at sfpromusica.org