Aidan Anthony Rowe

Aidan was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1972, the oldest of five children. He was a unique kid with a vast comic book collection, who loved reading and art. His early trials of being the kid with the (once) weird Irish name propelled him into developing himself as a thoughtful, intelligent person, with incredible work ethic, unparalleled charm and humour, and a cutting wit. He was lucky to have a close-knit family, whose home served as the social hub for their many, many friends. As a younger adult, it sometimes felt impossible to have a moment with Aidan to yourself, as he was certain to know at least a few people everywhere he went.

He flourished doing a painting and graphic design undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, where he, later, had one of his earliest jobs as a graphic designer, and his first opportunity at sessional teaching. He discovered he loved teaching and later decided to go back to school. At the campus bar, Deweys, during his undergrad at U of A, he met his life partner Ange. They dated for 4 years before deciding not to get married. They celebrated their not-wedding August 15, 1998 with a big party, invited all their friends and family, and had a live band, a midnight lunch, and an open bar. Aidan was not one for making big public professions of love, but expressed his dedication in little and big ways for more than 30 years.

He and Ange moved to England for seven years, and during this time he completed two master’s degrees, as well as a teaching degree. He also got his first teaching job at the University College of the Arts in Epsom, Surrey. Aidan and Ange loved the proximity of mainland Europe, undertaking many trips, especially to Belgium. His favourite way to complete his summer vacation was to do the Damme-Bruges canal 5km swim race.

Not long after his first daughter, Aoife, was born in England, his family jumped at the chance to return home to Edmonton to be closer to family and friends after a job offer to be a professor at the University of Alberta. Eventually, two more daughters arrived: Lucia and Maeve. Aidan continued the Rowe family tradition of sweet but gruff fatherhood. He was a legendary kids team soccer coach of the happy, but usually losing team; perhaps it was the sideline, daisy-picker quality of the kids he coached. (His own!) He was known in the Mill Creek neighbourhood for baking his secret parent-only birthday cakes at kid parties, and for leading a trail of biking children to school in his brightly coloured trousers and orange toques.

His work in England was mostly teaching, but at the University of Alberta, he was able to expand into research. His early research area was to look at how design is taught in different cultures, which may have been partly borne out of his penchant for travel. He translated this into a sabbatical year in Germany for his whole family. The two older kids learned German this year. Aidan continued to work on his German language learning for another decade but never caught up with 8-year-old Aoife.

His research evolved to encompass how design and design thinking can transform the world, not just within creative fields, but in all human endeavours. He often quoted Herbert Simon, who wrote that “everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.” This perspective shaped his approach to research, teaching, and his relationships with those whom he loved and society as a whole.

He worked very hard over his last five years as Chair of the Department of Art and Design in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. He stepped into the chair position at an immensely difficult moment for the University, and for especially the Fine Arts and Humanities. Between COVID and extreme budget cuts, these years were beyond challenging. He was devoted to his students and colleagues, and did his best to make a difference for the University of Alberta community through his labours as a teacher, a mentor, an advocate, and a friend.

He leaves behind his beloved family, life partner Angela Doyle, and three daughters Aoife, Lucia, and Maeve Rowe-Doyle.

He will be deeply missed by his parents, John and Valerie, siblings Neal, Heather (Casper), Peter, and Kevin, nieces and nephews Paeden, Sofia, Niamh, Macklin, Emmet, and Paddy, Ange’s mum Maureen Doyle, and brother Philip Doyle (Janice), as well as a large circle of friends and colleagues in Canada, England, and Germany.

As per the family’s wishes, no funeral will be held. A memorial book about Aidan is in the works. We will be in contact with his friends and loved ones to let you know how to contribute. A celebration of life will occur at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to Paths for People, a non-profit group working to transform how we get around the city and working toward a better quality of life for all. It is a cause that Aidan valued greatly. https://pathsforpeople.org/aidan/