Pray, Thomas F.

January 1, 2025

Thomas F. Pray, 77, of Perinton, NY, passed away January 1, 2025 after a long and valiant battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Warm, kindhearted and deeply loved, Tom embraced life; achieved academic and professional success; delighted in spending time in the Adirondacks with his wife, Jackie; cherished his friends; and helped many people enter and succeed in their business careers. 

Professionally, Tom was a nationally recognized scholar in the development and application of business simulations, including DECIDE, a simulation he used at universities and corporations around the globe. Tom was Professor Emeritus of Decision Sciences at the E. Philip Saunders College of Business at RIT, where he taught for more than 25 years. He served as chairman of the Department of Decision Sciences and MIS at RIT and was instrumental in the development of RIT’s EMBA (Executive MBA) program.  

Despite receiving multiple awards for his academic and professional accomplishments, Tom’s great love was spending time at his camp in the Adirondacks with his wife, Jackie. Always eager to learn a new skill, Tom rebuilt and refurbished a 100-year-old Adirondack camp, sharing the adventure with Jackie and his camp neighbors and friends. His workshop was stocked with extra hardware and tools, in case a neighbor needed to borrow something. Tom was warmhearted and had a quick, open smile and he greatly enjoyed helping camp friends solve construction problems. His shop often served as a clubhouse for neighbors working on projects.

Upon his retirement, Tom took up woodworking and built beautiful cherry furniture for camp and home. He also purchased a Kubota tractor and delighted in uprooting stumps, repairing driveways and moving boulders. Sunny summer days found him sailing his Sunfish with friends.  

Tom began his professional career in the 1970s and 1980s by co-authoring three business simulation books and corresponding software. The DECIDE simulation teaches managers and business leaders cross-functional decision making as teams virtually manage their own companies in a competitive environment. His DECIDE seminars were often intense and exciting; managers and rising executives were surprised at how closely the simulation mimicked real world decision-making. Tom’s talents were in demand not only in the USA but also around the globe – from China to Australia, India, UAE, and Europe. And along the way, Tom and Jackie explored the world together.   

Tom was a former president and member of the Board of Directors of the Association for Business Simulation and Experiential Learning (ABSEL), the international organization for the field. After receiving multiple awards for his published research involving the use and design of business simulations, in 1995 he was named an ABSEL Fellow, the highest honor bestowed by that organization. In 2002 Tom was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA).

Tom was an engaging educator who could convey sophisticated concepts in clear, lively language. Early in his academic career, he received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, awarded by the State University of New York at Geneseo, and later, the Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching, awarded by RIT.

Born in Wappingers Falls, NY, Tom often talked about his first business – a lawn mowing business that he started while in high school. 

Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in industrial management from Clarkson University. He received a doctorate in managerial economics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Tom is survived by his loving wife Jackie; son Eric (Rochelle) of Raleigh, NC; sister-in-law Patricia (James) Sykes of Smyrna, GA; many beloved nephews and nieces.  There will be a private service for family and friends in the spring. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.