James C. Coyne

10/22/1947 - 11/10/2024

Oakland, Calif. - Dr. James "Jim" C. Coyne, Ph.D. died Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Oakland, Calif., where he had recently relocated from Philadelphia. Jim was born in Chelsea, Mass., Oct. 22, 1947, to the late Beatrice "Bea" Huntington and James Coyne Sr.

After graduating from New London High School (1965), Jim went on to receive his B.A. from Carnegie-Mellon University (1968) and, later, earned his Ph.D. in psychology (1975) from Indiana University Bloomington. He interned in clinical psychology at the University of Florida. He was an instructor at Miami University, and then became an assistant professor. He became professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (1999), and went on to become Professor Emeritus of Psychology in Psychiatry there upon his retirement in 2013. In addition, he held faculty positions at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan, as well as visiting professorships at universities around the United States and internationally, including in the Netherlands, Scotland, and Australia.

Dr. Coyne's work evaluating psychological assessment, depression screening, and suicide prevention programs was highly influential. He wrote five books and over 400 publications. Over 40 years, he received millions of dollars in U.S. grants. Jim gave lectures all over the world and immersed himself in the cultures of the places he traveled. In addition to the numerous honors and awards that he received over the span of his impressive career, Dr. Coyne was designated among the 200 most eminent psychologists of the last 20th century. In the last decade of his life, Jim became the founder and owner of CoyneoftheRealm.com and served as an advisor on psychosocial issues and international relations with the UK National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline.

Jim was predeceased by his estranged father; as well as his beloved mother; and younger brother David "Davey" Huntington. He is survived by his wife Melany Hoffman; and her son Aaron Black; his sister Pati Macrino and her husband Don; as well as their children: Joseph and wife Sarah Macrino, Olivia Macrino and Marceline and her husband Brian Dillon; and his five great-nephews and nieces: Elvis, Coral, Ozzy, Tallulah and Jack.

Jim was a brilliant, controversial, irreverent and socially conscious individual who was passionate about promoting robust debate, and debunking "hype and pseudoscience." He will be remembered for his remarkable contributions to the psychology world and as a defender of expression without undue fear of reprisal. To his family, he was a beloved husband, brother and uncle, who will be greatly missed.

Funeral services will be private.