In Memoriam: Dr. Gordon Bazemore (1952-2021)

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dr. Gordon Bazemore (1952-2021), after his long battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Bazemore was a long-time Criminal Justice faculty member and the former SCCJ director for six years during the CAUPA era. As noted by Dr. Mara Schiff, he “was a friend, colleague and mentor to many of the faculty here, and some of us even ended up at FAU directly because of him.” Dr. Bazemore received various research awards, grants, and dozens of other accolades throughout his career, including the inaugural National Association for Community and Restorative Justice's (NACRJ) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. He leaves behind a lasting impact on the Criminal Justice profession, having been the first to integrate restorative justice philosophy into juvenile justice systems across the country, during his decade-long role as director of the National Balanced and Restorative Justice Project initiative prior to his tenure at FAU.

Please take a few moments to read Dr. Bazemore’s obituary and the moving tribute to his life and legacy, written by Dr. Schiff on the NACRJ website. If you wish to pay your respects, the Bazemore family has asked in lieu of flowers that memorial donations be made to the NACRJ in Dr. Gordon Bazemore’s name. Instructions can be found at the bottom of either link above. We have also posted this announcement on the SCCJ Facebook page, should you like to share it with colleagues, friends, and former students who wish to honor his memory.

When asked what he did for a living, Dr. Bazemore would answer simply, "I teach." That says it all, for as Henry Brooks Adams once remarked, “Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops.”