Dr. Evan Imber-Black

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Evan Imber-Black, who died peacefully in her home in Connecticut, with her five beloved cats, on May 29, 2024. As a world-renowned expert on family rituals and family secrets, Evan was the Program Director for the Marriage and Family Therapy program in the school of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry, New York for many years, and taught there until her very last days. Evan founded the Center for Families and Health at the acclaimed Ackerman Institute for the Family in New York City where she was senior faculty, and the Urban Institute for Families and Family Therapy Training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she has also served as Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. She also taught at UMass Amherst and the University of Calgary; and she earned her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. She was the author of more than 80 papers and five books, including The Secret Life of Families, and Rituals for Our Times: Celebrating, Healing, and Changing Our Lives and Our Relationships (co-authored with Janine Roberts). She was the editor of Family Process, the premier scholarly journal in the field for eight years. She is survived by her sister, Meryle Sue Mitchel; along with her son Jason Black and his wife Tonya Lok; her daughter Jennifer Coppersmith; her three grandchildren Jo Black, Lois Black, and Zane Black; and numerous members of her extended family. She was predeceased by the love of her life, Lascelles Black who died in 2022. Evan always loved to travel and when her husband Lascelles Black was alive, they would frequently enjoy cruises with the finest foods imaginable. In fact, she went on her last cruise up to Canada with her grandson, Zane, and his girlfriend Delilah Martin during the celebration of her 80th birthday this past month. She also loved live theater and could often be found enjoying the latest productions on Broadway. Evan was an excellent cook and would regularly host multi-course dinner parties where the guests would be treated to printed menu cards and culinary delights. She was a staunch believer in the promise of social justice and gave regularly and generously to the causes and charitable organizations that she chose to support. She loved being able to check in with her friends from around the world via Facebook, sharing the latest cat videos, as well as important news of the day from reputable sources like The New York Times, Washington Post and The Nation. She would have been thrilled to learn of the recent 34 count conviction of the former President of the United States. In the end, she lived her life the way she wanted, and died on her own terms with dignity. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to World Central Kitchen, whose charitable work in war-torn countries around the world was one of her deepest passions.