Occasionally, you meet someone unforgettable — whose strong character andgenerosity leave a lasting impression. According to those who knew him, Robert “Bob” Harvey Langworthy was one such person.
Langworthy, a faculty member and former chair of UCF’s Department of Criminal Justice, passed away recently at age 78. Colleagues, friends and former students remember his warmth, wit and matchless ingenuity.
Stephen Holmes, associate professor of criminal justice, was one of Langworthy’s students and a longtime mentee. Having known Langworthy for over three decades, Holmes describes him as larger than life.
“Bob was a force of nature,” Holmes says. “He had one of those large, welcoming personalities that took over a room and made you feel [like] you were in the presence of someone great. He was your friend and your defender.”
Gene Paoline, professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and a former mentee of Langworthy, remembers him as a relentless champion of faculty and staff success.
“Bob was a facilitator and a motivator,” Paoline says. “He was a down-to-earth guy who would roll up his sleeves and get in the trenches with you. He was a hard worker.”
Originally from San Diego, California, Langworthy graduated from Kearney High School in 1964 before joining the U.S. Air Force, where he served in Pakistan and Turkey. He later attended Utah State University, where he met his wife, RoseMarie, with whom he shared 52 years of marriage. He went on to earn a master’s degree in geography from Minnesota State University, Mankato, followed by master’s and doctoral degrees in criminal justice from the State University of New York at Albany. He co-authored two books on criminal justice and published over 30 articles in 15 academic journals.
After graduating, Langworthy worked as a senior analyst at the National Institute of Justice in Washington, D.C. He later held faculty roles across the country, including associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, professor at the University of Cincinnati, and chair and research director at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
When Langworthy arrived at UCF in 2007, he was a well-known scholar who had a tremendous impact on the department, Paoline says. In fact, he helped introduce the university’s criminal justice-focused doctoral program, the first of its kind in Florida.
“Bob played a big role in the formation of the University of Cincinnati’s criminal justice doctoral program, and when he came [to UCF], he wanted to bring in doctoral education,” Paoline says. “That takes showing a need for it and going through the Florida Board of Governors. Bob said [that] we were going to get a doctoral program, and we did while he was here.”
In addition to helping introduce the doctoral program, Langworthy transformed the department by bringing a fresh perspective and inspiring cooperation. Holmes says that Langworthy’s long-term vision emphasized the importance of research, the value of creative approaches and the role of students as future leaders in criminal justice.
After a long and accomplished career, Langworthy retired in 2015. In his free time, he enjoyed reading, fishing, traveling and spending summers in Alaska.
Throughout his life, Langworthy left an extraordinary legacy of positive change and built a storied reputation as a titan in the field of criminal justice. Along with his many professional achievements, Holmes says thatLangworthy was a protector and mentor to all — always striving to bring people together and make them feel supported and valued.
“Everyone respected Bob, and Bob respected everyone,” Holmes says. “We all owe a great debt to this man. UCF was very happy to have him.”
