The Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology has created this website as a way to remember and share memories of John Kalafat. |
Obituary Published in the Star-Ledger on 10/28/2007
Dr. John Kalafat, Rutgers professor, Psychologist
John Kalafat, Ph.D., adored husband of Anne Nathans Damianos, and father of Matt and Jim, died suddenly and unexpectedly at home in Berkeley Heights, on Friday, Oct. 26.
The gentle soul that was my husband, the wit, the tender touch. A devoted parent, a doting grandfather, an inspired educator, and a passionate and dedicated scholar.
I daily had the joy and privilege of sharing lifes ups, downs and all arounds with this most remarkable of men for the last 23 years. The beautiful hands of his that I held at night in our sleep. The values and virtues that he embodied, in a life well-lived, full of caring and sharing.
As recently as Thursday, he participated in his bi-weekly full court basketball game at Rutgers, having a lifelong love of the game. A lover also of nature, of beauty, of hiking, biking, sailing, the perfect sous chef,consummate host, and loving friend to many. He had a most wonderful playful side and favored Circus Peanuts and M&Ms.
John made substantial scholarly contributions to the field of crisis intervention and psychology. His career spanned the pioneering work he did in telephone counseling centers and was the co-founder and director of the Telephone Counseling and Referral Services in Tallahassee, Fla., from 1970 to 1977. He made major contributions to the field of community psychology, and most notably to the discipline of adolescent suicide prevention. He was co-developer of "Lifelines School-Based Youth Suicide Response Program."
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At his passing, he was a professor in the Department of Applied Psychology,Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. He taught Systematic Observation and Interview, Adult Learning and Training, Advanced School Supervision and Crisis Intervention, conducted extensive research,and chaired doctoral dissertations.
He was a New Jersey State licensed psychologist, a fellow with the American Psychological Association (Divisions 27 and 29) and a member of Divisions 12 and 16, and past president (2002-2003) of the American Association of Suicidology.
He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Certification and Training Subcommittee of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network and the SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith Evaluation Steering Committee.
Additionally, John served on the editorial board of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, Journal of Applied School Psychology, Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy and Advancing Suicide Prevention. He was an ad hoc reviewer for Behavior Research and Therapy.
Born on July 30, 1942, in Cleveland, Ohio, John is survived by his older son, Matt Kalafat and his wife, Thi Nguyen; his grandchildren, Luke and Lily; his younger son, Jim, and his siblings, Jan Jones, Martha Fagen, Peg Foley and Ned Kalafat.
The family requests no flowers.
Tributes can be made to Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org) or to SERV Behavioral Health System Inc., 130 Dermody St., Cranford, N.J. 07016 (908) 276-0490, in his memory, and would be appreciated.
Friends, family and colleagues will be notified of a memorial service to be planned for a later date.
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