Robert A.
Stebbins, an American-born Canadian sociologist, died on May 4, 2026. He was 87.
Stebbins was professor emeritus at the University of Calgary and served as associate editor for Leisure and Voluntaristics Review: Brill Research Perspectives. He published more than 300 research articles and wrote 65 books and monographs, with work centered on leisure studies, including amateurs, hobbyists, career volunteers and the serious leisure perspective. He also delivered keynote addresses at international conferences in Europe, North America and Asia. Stebbins was a former president of the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association and the Social Science Federation of Canada, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1999.
Robert A. Stebbins, 87, American-born Canadian sociologist.