CELEBRATION OF LIFE
Obituary of Dr. John Frank Tomer
John Frank Tomer, age 77, born 7/11/1942 in New Brunswick, NJ, passed away on 12/7/2019 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Doris FitzGerald Tomer and by son Russell, daughter-in-law, Karina and 2 grandsons, Hudson and Milo, all living in Austin, TX and son Jeffrey, daughter-in-law Sonja and 2 granddaughters, Emma and Ella, all living in Leipzig, Germany. He is survived by his brother Thomas and 3 nephews, David, Steven and Michael, all living in Utah and brother Richard, sister-in-law Jackie and niece, Laura and nephew, Matthew, all living in NJ, and a nephew by marriage Henry Greenfield, living in MA.
He earned a BS degree in engineering and a Ph.D in Economics from Rutgers University and served in the Army as a 1st Lieutenant. In addition to teaching at R.P.I, Union College and Vassar, he was a full professor at Manhattan College for 29 years, retiring in 2012, with the distinction of being an Emeritus Professor. He was a pioneer in the field of behavioral economics, was a founding member and first president of the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics. He is the author of numerous articles and published 5 books over his distinguished career.
John enjoyed physical activity, playing basketball and earning a black belt in judo in his younger years. He was an avid skier and tennis player until very recently. His humanistic interests and societal concerns, was reflected in his writings, community activities and pursuit of personal growth. For the past 20 years, his spiritual community, as a Buddhist, played an important role in his life. He had a deep commitment and love for family which was expressed in a variety of ways. He will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, if desired, any contribution may be made in memory of John F. Tomer, to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, Doctors Without Borders, the Grafton Peace Pagoda, the Multiple Myeloma Association or a charity of choice.
A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2020 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the RPI Chapel + Cultural Center, 2215 Burdett Avenue, Troy, NY 12180.
To express on-line condolences on John’s “Tribute Wall” please use the tab on this page.