On August 21, 2026, Dr. Christopher Thomas Kilmartin died after a heart attack. A Ph.D in Counseling Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University, he retired in 2016 after teaching for more than thirty years at the University of Mary Washington. He loved playing guitar and listening to music and was an avid golfer and consumer of gin and tonics. A natural performer, he did stand-up comedy, performed in university productions, and wrote and acted in a solo theatre performance on men's issues entitled Crimes Against Nature, which toured to over 150 campuses and other venues for a total of over 220 performances.

Chris was an internationally recognized expert on gender, violence prevention, diversity, equity, and inclusion. A prolific writer, he is the author of five books, including The Fictions that Shape Men's Lives, The Masculine Self, Men's Violence Against Women: Theory, Research, and Activism, Overcoming Masculine Depression: The Pain behind the Mask, and Sexual Assault in Context: Teaching College Men about Gender. He served as a consultant on related issues with many institutions, including the US military, the United Nations, and the US Peace Corps.

He was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the United States Air Force Academy in 2013-14, as well as the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Gender Studies at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. He was also a Fellow in the American Psychological Association.

He was the son of James Kilmartin and Josephine Lily Kilmartin (both deceased). He is survived by his partner and wife of more than 33 years, Dr. Allyson M. Poska, his siblings Susan Kilmartin, Kim Siriporn (Ginger Turner), Paul Kilmartin (Margaret), Meg Kilmartin, and George Kilmartin (Lisa), nieces, Amy Siriporn, Lisa DeLoss, Meredith Kilmartin, and Cadey Johnson, and nephews Matthew Kilmartin and Baker Kilmartin.

In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring him by donating to Empowerhouse (a local organization supporting survivors of domestic violence and their children) www.empowerhouseva.org or to the newly established Christopher Kilmartin, Ph.D. Scholarship in Theatre at the University of Mary Washington https://umw.imodules.com/kilmartinscholarship

Memorial celebrations will be held in Baltimore, MD and Fredericksburg, VA in the coming weeks.