John Errett Lankford, 92, passed away on September 10, 2026. A scholar, teacher, author, and devoted community servant, he leaves behind a rich legacy in the history of religion, higher education, and modern science.

After earning an undergraduate degree from Oberlin College in 1956, he served as an assistant to a member of Congress. Returning to academia, he earned master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Wisconsin. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and went on to become Professor Emeritus of the History of Modern Science at the University of Missouri–Columbia. During his more than 30-year professorial career, he also taught at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart, and West Virginia University and later served as assistant to the provost at Kansas State University.

His scholarly contributions were wide-ranging and influential. He served as chair of the Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society and as co-chair of the History of Astronomy Interest Group of the History of Science Society. He published five books and more than forty articles on the history of American religion, higher education, and modern science and astronomy.

After taking early retirement, John settled in the high desert of northern New Mexico, where he devoted himself to writing and community service. He taught astronomy to elementary school students and volunteered with hospice. He was an avid supporter of Dark Sky commitments and served on the local chapter of the Dark Sky Society. He also became a practicing Buddhist and was active in the affairs of Taos Mountain Sangha.

In his later years, John’s writing turned to fiction, drawing inspiration from his many years of hiking, camping, and river running in the Canyonlands of Utah. His curiosity, compassion, intellectual energy, and deep appreciation for the natural world shaped both his work and the lives of those who knew him.

If asked, he would say that while he did not live happily ever after, he did the best that he could. John is survived by his beloved stepson Morgan and his wife Betsabe and their daughters, Aurelia and Illiana. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

The family of John Errett Lankford have granted Rivera Family Funeral Home the honor of serving them.