Patrick Bourdillon

Dr. Patrick David Victor Bourdillon died peacefully on October 24, 2024, succumbing to gastric cancer after years of beating expectations. He was at his home surrounded by loved ones. 

Patrick was born January 4, 1946, in Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia (now Kabwe in Zambia), and raised in Borrowdale outside of Salisbury (now Harare), then capital of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He was educated at St George's College from 1956 to 1964. After secondary school, he was named a 1965 Rhodes Scholar and attended Oxford University as a student in Corpus Christi College, where he obtained his MBChB (1971) and DM (1983). 

During Patrick’s clinical training and early work as a physician, he spent time at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in London, Wessex Cardiac and Thoracic Center in Southampton, and the National Heart Hospital in London. He moved to the United States in 1980 as a British-American Fellow of the American College of Cardiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA.. Patrick became an Assistant Professor of Medicine (cardiology) at the University of Michigan from 1982 to 1986. He then moved to Indianapolis, IN, where he became an Associate Professor of Cardiology in 1986 and a Professor of Medicine in 1994, and he practiced as an interventional cardiologist through the Indiana University and Methodist health systems in Indianapolis until 2019. He was a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the Royal College of Physicians. He developed and oversaw a Cardiovascular Physical Examination Teaching Module at the IU School of Medicine, and he remained forever passionate about teaching hemodynamics and clinical diagnosis at the bedside. 

Patrick also found lifelong prowess and success in sport. As a child in Rhodesia, then during university in the UK, he took part in the British traditions of rugby and cricket. While in university, he took up squash, rising quickly to the university "Squirrels" team, and elected to membership of the Vincent's sports club at Oxford. In middle age, he took up fitness anew, and between his first mini marathon in 2004 and his last World Championship Ironman in 2022, he seemed unstoppable. He ran in the Boston Marathon seven times, with a personal record of 3:42. He completed over 50 full and half Ironman triathlon competitions, including 10 Ironman World Championships, with a PR of 12:58:11, and 10 “Half Ironman” 70.3 World Championships, with a PR of 5:10:14.

Patrick enjoyed spending time with his family, especially observing his grandchildren learn and grow curious about the world around them. He loved golf, pickleball, waterskiing, hosting parties, and dancing. As a man of multitudes, his two favorite musical works were Walk the Moon’s “Shut up and Dance” and Verdi’s opera “La Traviata.” He relished adventures with his children, hiking and climbing mountains, from Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, to backpacking summits in Ecuador, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Rwanda. He continued to relish skiing double-black diamonds, playing pickleball, and rounds of golf into his last year of life and was committed to demonstrating that “life is full” to the end. 

Patrick is survived by his children, Emma Margaret “Meg” Kedrowski (Sean), Charlotte Jane McCracken Bourdillon (Alex), and Paul McCracken Bourdillon (Cassie), by his "love of my life" Yvette Chomyn Steinhardt, and by his siblings Michael, Bernard, Anthony, Peter, and Clare. He was predeceased by his parents, Victor Edmund and Dr. Marjorie Caroline, sister Cecily, and brother Robin. He is survived also by 5 beloved grandchildren, as well as many dear cousins, nieces, nephews, and family members in law.

In lieu of flowers, please take a run, bike, or swim in Patrick’s honor, and in his stead. If you wish to make a gift in memory of Patrick, please consider one of the charities recommended this season by Nicholas Kristof (kristofimpact.org).

On Saturday, November 2nd, there will be a gathering and celebration of life from 1-3 PM, followed by a memorial service at 3 PM, both at Crooked Stick Golf Club (1964 Burning Tree Lane, Carmel, IN 46032).

A live stream of Patrick's memorial services may be viewed using this Zoom video information below: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84983254326?pwd=2QBvlq8fDRyLfJlirM5nOZSj5qQtBo.1

Meeting ID: 849 8325 4326

Passcode: 330345