Lynne Dahlborg, professor at Suffolk University; at 60

On her 59th birthday last year, Lynne Dahlborg went tubing withher children down the rocky course of the Virgin River near Utah'sZion National Park.

Doctors had told her a few weeks earlier that she had a rareterminal cancer and removed her gallbladder.

Writing about that river ride in a blog, Ms. Dahlborg said shefound herself exhausted and terrified, with no exit. Her daughterloved the three-hour adventure, but Ms. Dahlborg was in agony untilshe stopped fighting the flow, she wrote.

"Like life, the river kept going, and my surrender was part ofliving and healing and knowing that I could survive even the sharpestrocks and deepest drops," Ms. Dahlborg wrote, using the river as ametaphor for her cancer and strong faith that God would heal herspirit.

Ms. Dahlborg, a tenured professor at Suffolk University and headof the paralegal studies department, died Sunday at her home inMiddleborough. She was 60. Her spouse and partner for 18 years, theRev. Patricia Kogut, was by her side.

Hours before her death, members of the couple's church - NorthCongregational in Middleborough, where Kogut is pastor - stoodoutside her window and sang five verses of "Amazing Grace."

"She was not the traditional minister's wife, but we used to jokeabout how she loved to bake," Kogut said. "People at the church justloved her."

Ms. Dahlborg's Internet blog, dahlborg.blogspot.com, was asynthesis of themes dominating her life: community building, a thirstfor information, and a search for meaning, she said.

"Her final symphony was the blog," Kogut said. "When she got sick,it wasn't about pulling in; it was about reaching out. She wanted tobe in dialogue with others who had rare cancers. She wanted to reachout to them, so they wouldn't feel so alone."

Ms. Dahlborg began the blog in August with a question askingreaders if they were dying, would they want to know. "Would it make adifference in how you live?" she asked.

Ms. Dahlborg taught at Suffolk for 18 years and helped herdepartment win accreditation from the American Bar Association, saidGlenn Eskedal, chairman of the human services and educationdepartment, who supervised her work during her entire Suffolk career.

"She was a very pragmatic, very reasonable, hands-on teacher,"Eskedal said. "She got nothing but rave reviews from her students."

Ms. Dahlborg was one of the first Suffolk professors toparticipate in a program creating safe zones for gay and lesbianstudents. She kept a sticker on her office door inviting theirconversation.

"She was quite dedicated to making sure every student felt safeand respected and able to learn," said Suffolk professor MaryFlaherty, who recently took over Ms. Dahlborg's post as departmenthead. Ms. Dahlborg continued to teach until March and managed tograde papers and submit final grades in May.

Ms. Dahlborg's students gave her teaching abilities high marks onratemyprofessor.com. Some called her tough but "truly fair."

"She was an amazing woman," former student Lauren Bianchi said inan interview. "She was always bright, smiling, and joking around."Bianchi added that she thought she had never seen her "in a bad moodor having a bad day, and if she did, she never showed it to anyone."

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Ms. Dahlborg was the daughter of Euniceand Edward Dahlborg of Falmouth. Her grandfather was formerMassachusetts representative and state senator Edward F. Dahlborg,who represented the Brockton area for several terms until 1920.

The oldest of three sisters, she grew up mostly in New Jersey andgraduated from Lenape Regional High School in Medford, N.J., whereshe played tuba in the band. She earned a bachelor's degree ineducation at Ohio State University. She received a master's degreefrom Suffolk in mental health counseling and then a law degree fromSuffolk.

"She was always very studious, always reading," said her sister,Dana Pruett of North Falmouth, who recalled a childhood home full ofmusic, books, and no television until Ms. Dahlborg was about 16. Sheand her elder sister enjoyed listening to Peter, Paul and Mary. Theywould buy the group's albums together and "fight over who couldlisten to them and when," she said, laughing at the memory. Pruettsaid she still has the albums.

Ms. Dahlborg met her spouse at a self-help retreat for emotionalhealing.

"When I met her, I felt like she just lived on a different planefrom other people," Kogut said. "She was just a very spiritual being,a spiritual seeker. She used to draw from so many spiritualtraditions."

The couple had a commitment ceremony two years after they met andwere legally married three years ago. Kogut gave birth to theirdaughter Lucyna, 11, and son Nathaniel, 8.

Ms. Dahlborg was also an artist who painted on silk and waslegendary for her baking skills. She would invite friends over tohelp bake hundreds of cookies during the holidays. A 3-galloncontainer of her chocolate chip cookies once spurred a bidding war ata church auction and went for more than $100.

She also loved gardening and tended a water garden outside herhome. "Lynne imagined life like Monet's garden," wrote her friendJudy Medeiros. "In addition to her gardens, Lynne helped others growand blossom into the fullness of their being."

In addition to her spouse, children, sister, and parents, Ms.Dahlborg leaves another sister, Carla Williams of Fort Worth.

A memorial service will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. in NorthCongregational Church.