Remembering Our Founder:
Dr. James C. Dobson
April 21, 1936 – August 21, 2025
In Loving memory of
Dr. James Dobson
A Friend of millions of listeners around the world
A Message from Focus on the Family President Jim Daly
With Dr. Dobson’s passing, we remember the life of a gifted man who walked with the Lord. I’m thankful for his sensitivity to those who were weak, downtrodden, and sometimes overlooked.
I recall one of the first times I witnessed Dr. Dobson’s heart for people. I had taken part in a dinner with several Focus on the Family supporters, and one couple told me the heart-wrenching story of the death of their 4-year-old son to lymphoma. The father shared how, for months, he had held his dying child at night, praying for God’s intervention. But their little boy lost his battle with cancer and slipped away.
When I relayed this story to Dr. Dobson, his eyes filled with tears and he said, “That’s one of the most devastating experiences a human being can suffer. The loss of a child would lead any parent to ask, ‘Why, God?’” He was heartbroken for that family. A few years later, he wrote When God Doesn’t Make Sense. Perhaps that book grew from Dr. Dobson’s emotional connection to families who suffer inexplicable tragedies. He heard many stories of family trauma through the years, and he grieved for each one. He never lost his heart for those who weep.
Now, it is our turn to weep. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather, and a friend to millions of listeners and readers around the world. Dr. Dobson’s presence will be sorely missed, but we rejoice in the knowledge that he is now joyfully in the presence of the God he served.
A Message from Focus on the Family President Jim Daly
With Dr. Dobson’s passing, we remember the life of a gifted man who walked with the Lord. I’m thankful for his sensitivity to those who were weak, downtrodden, and sometimes overlooked.
I recall one of the first times I witnessed Dr. Dobson’s heart for people. I had taken part in a dinner with several Focus on the Family supporters, and one couple told me the heart-wrenching story of the death of their 4-year-old son to lymphoma. The father shared how, for months, he had held his dying child at night, praying for God’s intervention. But their little boy lost his battle with cancer and slipped away.
When I relayed this story to Dr. Dobson, his eyes filled with tears and he said, “That’s one of the most devastating experiences a human being can suffer. The loss of a child would lead any parent to ask, ‘Why, God?’” He was heartbroken for that family. A few years later, he wrote When God Doesn’t Make Sense. Perhaps that book grew from Dr. Dobson’s emotional connection to families who suffer inexplicable tragedies. He heard many stories of family trauma through the years, and he grieved for each one. He never lost his heart for those who weep.
Now, it is our turn to weep. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather, and a friend to millions of listeners and readers around the world. Dr. Dobson’s presence will be sorely missed, but we rejoice in the knowledge that he is now joyfully in the presence of the God he served.
Dr. Dobson’s thoughts on …