Donald Dewsbury

Donald A. Dewsbury was born on August 11, 1939 and passed away March 26, 2025 at the age of 85.

Don was a devoted husband and father. He grew up in the New York City area and enjoyed learning and sports. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Bucknell University and his Ph.D from the University of Michigan. He had a long and productive career teaching and conducting research, first at the University of California, Berkeley, and then at the University of Florida, where he was a highly esteemed professor for over 41 years. He was the president of three divisions of the American Psychological Association and of the Animal Behavior Society. Don’s many accomplishments earned him numerous awards, including the prestigious Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association for being a beacon and benchmark for psychology. He authored more than 250 publications in animal behavior, more than 100 publications in the history of science as well as of 18 books edited or written ranging from textbooks to reference books. He had a phenomenal dedication to collecting data, took great care in mentoring students, and had an amazing breadth of knowledge in animal behavior.

His many interests included opera, baseball, and jazz. He was an avid fan of the New York Giants (even after they moved to San Francisco) and Gator baseball, spending many hours enjoying the game, keeping meticulous statistics, and collecting signatures on baseball cards. He was well known for his wry sense of humor, witty repartee, and love of a good pun.

He is survived by Gail Dewsbury, his devoted wife of 19 years; his son Bryan Dewsbury and Bryan’s wife and sons, Priya, Shaun and Dylan; Laura Dewsbury, his daughter; Nancy Dewsbury, his sister; and Gemma Descoteaux, his stepdaughter. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.

His burial will be at the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery at 10:00 AM on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, please remember Don by a donation to the New York Metropolitan Opera or Plant a Tree.