Robert G. Greenway

December 13, 1932 – August 13, 2026

Robert G. Greenway, a pioneering teacher of wilderness psychology and one of the earlyarchitects of what became known as ecopsychology, peacefully passed away on August 13, 2026. He was 93.

Born in Seattle, Washington, on December 13, 1932, Robert grew up with a deep affinity for the natural world that would shape his life’s work. He studied at the University of Washington and later at Brandeis University, where he worked with Abraham Maslow and began developing the ideas he first called “psycho-ecology.”

His career was wide-ranging and unconventional. He wrote for Sunset magazine, worked as a research writer at the Stanford Research Institute, served as founding Dean of Franconia College in New Hampshire, held a senior staff position with the Peace Corps, directed planning at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and spent decades as a professor of psychology at Sonoma State University. At Sonoma State he created influential wilderness-experience programs that explored the psychological effects of extended immersion in wild nature. He was widely recognized as a foundational voice in the emerging field of ecopsychology and a teacher of wilderness psychology.

In later years Robert devoted himself to organic farming, growing vegetables and flowers, and became a strong supporter of community-based agriculture. After moving to Port Townsend, Washington, he served on the Jefferson County Planning Commission, where he worked on growth management issues that balanced development with the protection of the region’s rural character and natural resources.

An avid backpacker, sailor, skier, gardener, writer, and musician, Robert lived in many places across the country—including Seattle, Oakland, Palo Alto, Boston, Franconia, Washington, D.C., Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Mendocino, and finally Port Townsend—always drawn back to the landscapes and communities that nourished him.

He is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Darby; his five children; five grandsons; and three great-grandchildren.

Robert Greenway leaves behind a legacy of inquiry into the human relationship with the natural world, a body of teaching and writing that continues to influence students and practitioners, and the quiet example of a life lived in close conversation with both people and place.