John Charles Kircher

1951 - 2025

BORN

1951

DIED

2025

About

Pennsylvania State University

John Kircher Obituary

John Charles Kircher

1951 - 2025

Heber City, UT-Dr. John Charles Kircher passed away on November 18, 2025, after a heroic battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family in the beautiful home he built in Timberlakes, Utah. He was 74 years old. John was born on February 13, 1951, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and earned his bachelor's degree in psychology at Penn State University. He met his wife, Becky, in Germany after being drafted into the Army. They married in 1976 and welcomed their first child, David. John moved his family to Utah, where he earned his PhD and developed expertise in psychophysiology. He joined the University of Utah as an Assistant Professor in the 1980s. He became an internationally respected expert in the psychophysiology of deception, earning the Distinguished Innovation and Impact Award in 2017. A generous and gifted statistician and mentor, he taught doctoral statistics, served on countless committees, and collaborated widely, often with a cup of black coffee in hand as he studied data on a screen. During these early years in Utah, he and Becky welcomed two more children, Sara and Amy. John went on to help create the first computerized polygraph and later served as the brain behind the EyeDetect technology as Chief Scientific Officer at Converus. He retired in 2019 and divided his time between continued research, hiking, and working on the geodesic dome he built in the mountains of Heber. John was an avid mountain climber and conquered many impressive peaks, including Mt. Rainier, Denali, Aconcagua, and other mountains in Central and South America. Above all, he and Becky cherished helping raise their six grandchildren-Danika, Seth, Ivy, Everett, Mila, and Emmett-who were his pride and joy. John was respected and loved by all who had the privilege of knowing him. He was an exceptional friend, colleague, and mentor whose integrity, humility, and quiet generosity shaped countless lives. He is survived by his wife, his children David, Sara, and Amy, his six grandchildren, and his older brother and younger sister. He will be deeply missed.

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Published by The Salt Lake Tribune, The Salt Lake Tribune from Nov. 20 to Nov. 25, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for John Kircher

4 Entries

Shawn Smyth

Yesterday

His use of silence was golden, witty, silly, impactful, and will be so missed.
You could say that John was shy, quiet, reserved in social situations, or needed that rare drink in his hand to bring him out of his shell. Many would also note that he was brilliant, organized, and patient. And others looked up, way up, to his towering, earnest frame with reverence.
But I know he was born possessing the rarest knowledge... the exact perfect ratio of human input to output. And he used this for good or sometimes funny ill. When appearing quiet, he was gathering intel on everyone, and with perfect timing would strike. It might be a rebuttal or thought-provoking comment - and his kids, students, colleagues, or other victims may be stunned, question their beliefs, or learn something about life. It might be a nudging remark or come back - and his friends and family would not take their woes so seriously. It might be pure silliness or biting wit - and Becky would expel milk out her nose and run to the restroom, and I would clench a fist and pretend it wasn´t as funny as it was (but now I wish I would´ve let out the most uproarious laughter my belly could produce).
Mastery of silence, stalking his prey, and making every concise utterance count as if gold dust lingered upon it. There will never be another quite the same.
Your loving nephew,
Shawn

Pete Nicholas

Yesterday

Dr. Kircher got me through my doctoral statistics. Towards the end of my final term, my mother passed away. I went to John and asked if I could take the final early. He said no, that I would miss his final lecture. Instead I took an incomplete, went home with family, came back to Dr. Kircher office for a one on one final lecture, then given the test, passed, and went on to earn my Ph.D. I nominated John as an outstanding professor at the University of Utah. He was in my book! My condolences to the family.

Romana

Yesterday

John´s legacy will live on through the love he gave to his wife, children and grandchildren. He will be missed immensely and it´s been an honor have known him.