James Garbarino

James Garbarino, PhD, a beloved husband, father, scholar, teacher, and tireless advocate for children, passed away unexpectedly in Ithaca, New York, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Born April 7, 1947, he leaves behind a remarkable legacy of intellect, compassion, and moral courage, as well as a family and an international community.

Jim was born in Manhattan General Hospital to Raymond, an Italian-American serviceman who spent his early life in Genoa, Italy, and to Joyce, a British war bride and Women’s Auxiliary Corps. service member whom Ray met at a party while stationed in England. As the first-born son of immigrants, Jim carried the hopes and dreams of the family on his shoulders; as a New York son, Jim carried a life-long allegiance to the New York Yankees.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Claire; his sons, Josh (Lara) and Eric (Amy); daughter, Jo (Steve); and dog, Luna. His siblings, John and Karen, and his lifelong best friend, Dan Clayton, also mourn him.

Jim was widely recognized for his extensive contributions to child and adolescent psychology. After graduating from St. Lawrence University in 1968 and earning his doctorate at Cornell University, Jim was a Fellow at the Boys Town Center in Omaha. Following Boys Town, Jim was Associate Professor of Human Development at Pennsylvania State University. He then served as president of the Erikson Institute in Chicago. He later held the Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professorship at Cornell, and then the Maude C. Clarke Chair in Humanistic Psychology at Loyola University Chicago.

Jim was an internationally renowned, brilliant speaker and a prolific writer who published more than 25 books and countless articles, notably Lost Boys (1999), Listening to Killers (2015), and his legacy to the legal community, Miller’s Children (2018). Most recently he devoted his time to educating judges, attorneys, and juries to inject compassion into the legal system and make sense of the violent, troubled pasts of inmates. He brought humanity into places few cared to tread, utilizing both a scientist’s rigor and a deeply compassionate heart to attempt to answer some of society’s hardest questions. He spent decades trying to understand children in pain, especially those who had experienced violence, neglect, fear, or profound isolation, and he challenged the rest of us to look more closely, judge less quickly, and care more deeply. Again and again, his work insisted on the dignity of every child and the responsibility of every community.

In Ithaca, Jim shared his voice and presence with the First Unitarian Society, where he spoke not only about psychology and trauma, but also about spirituality, transformation, compassion, and the work of building a more humane world. In one recent talk, he described the connection between his religious and professional journey — a fitting reflection of a life in which conscience, intellect, and love were never separate.

Those who knew Jim personally will remember more than his books or public reputation. They will remember his warmth, his wisdom, his seriousness of purpose, and the generosity with which he engaged others. He was a man who listened deeply, thought carefully, and loved faithfully. He cared about truth, but he also cared about people. He cared about children, families, students, and colleagues. He cared about the kind of world we were making and whether it was worthy of those who would inherit it.

A memorial service will be held at the First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, 306 N. Aurora Street, Ithaca, New York, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, beginning at 4:00 pm. Please arrive by 3:45 pm. The service will also be livestreamed below on this page.

In lieu of flowers, Jim would be deeply touched by donations made to: The Life School, located in Panajachel, Guatemala (https://www.lifeschoolfoundation.com/shop), or Save The Elephants (https://savetheelephants.org/). At the end of his full life, Jim and Claire lived part of the year on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala and were involved in helping local kids. Jim was a regular at the Life School, where impoverished children have access to a superior education. Jim also had a strong compassion for elephants, and his visit to an elephant sanctuary in Kenya a few years ago was a life changing event for him.

Condolences may be sent to: Jim Garbarino / Claire Bedard, P.O. Box 7074, Ithaca, NY 14851.