Paul John Feltovich, 77, passed away on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, in his home in Pensacola, FL.

Paul was born on August 2, 1947, in Pittsburgh, PA, to George Feltovich and Catherine Herbick. He was married to his best friend, partner, and soulmate, Joan Velkey Feltovich, for 55 years.

He is survived by Joan and their three children, Ellen, Andrew, and Anne Feltovich; three grandchildren, Mira and Sadie Skelton, and Max Feltovich; two older brothers, George (Patricia) and Michael; as well as several nieces and nephews and many cousins.

He valued his family, friends, and colleagues and was so grateful for your presence in his life. He also valued and dedicated his life to education, in which he made unique and important contributions.

In 1965, Paul left his childhood home in Sharpsville, PA for Allegheny College. He continued his education at the University of Minnesota where he earned his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology in 1981. He was at the University of Pittsburgh as a post-doctoral fellow at the Learning Research and Development Center from 1978-1982. From there, Paul and his family moved to Springfield, IL, where he eventually would serve as Professor of Medical Education and Professor of Psychiatry (honorary), and Chair of the Department of Medical Education at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, 1982-2001. He also served as editor of the journal Teaching and Learning in Medicine. Paul then became a Senior Research Scientist at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola until his retirement in 2017.

He was recognized around the world for his contributions to applied psychology, including his research and publications on expertise, expert-novice differences in complex cognitive skills, and conceptual understanding and misunderstanding for complex, ill-structured knowledge domains. His work on expertise culminated with him serving as co-editor for The Cambridge Handbook on Expertise. His research in learning and instruction included contributions to the creation of Cognitive Flexibility Theory and the Reductive Bias Theory. At IHMC, his research focused on human-agent-robotic teamwork. Paul brought a gentle curiosity and a unique perspective to problems. His intelligent mind may have been sufficient to make these advancements, but it was just as important to him that he brought integrity and kindness to his work.

Paul chose a final opportunity to further scientific research in donating his body to the medical school at the University of South Alabama. A private celebration of life will be held at a later time.

Memorial donations can be made to Vitas Hospice, The American Heart Association, or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The family would like to acknowledge his Vitas Hospice Care Team, who provided essential encouragement, reassurance, comfort and human connection over the last few months. Paul considered them his angels.

"There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone" ©

-Grateful Dead

© Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc., Ice Nine Publishing Co Inc.