John "Jack" Pray, Jr.

John “Jack” F. Pray, Jr. 76, passed away peacefully on December 6, 2019 surrounded by his family. A visitation will be from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory in Urbandale. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 AM on Thursday, December 12, 2019 at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines. Burial will be at Saint Patrick Irish Settlement Cemetery in Cumming, Iowa. Jack was born October 31, 1943 in Des Moines, to John F. Pray, Sr and Mary Jane Pray. He graduated from Martensdale High School and attended UNI and Simpson College before meeting and marrying Marsha McFarland in 1968. In 1974 daughter Meghan was born, followed four years later by son Ryan. Jack had a long and successful career in sales, starting in advertising at the Des Moines Register, which allowed him to travel across the country and explore new places. He moved into sales for the Weitz Company, before ultimately finding his true calling in insurance sales at Kirke Van Orsdel, INC. In 1999 he joined the team at Reynolds & Reynolds, INC where he continued his insurance career as a Producer and Sales Executive for 20 years. He was proud to eventually become a partner with the company and planned to retire at the end of this year. In addition to his professional career, Jack enjoyed many activities such as pheasant hunting, playing tennis, skiing, traveling and his regular workout, but his love for the game of golf superseded all hobbies. You could always find him at the course. He especially loved his frequent trips to Arizona, so he could golf during the cold Iowa winters. But his true passion was his family. He adored his wife, took great pride in his children and their accomplishments, and loved spending time with his grandkids at their many activities and sporting events. He knew no stranger and enjoyed time with his friends. Throughout his life, Jack supported local charitable organizations such as Iowa Games and Knights of Columbus. However, he was most passionate about Variety-The Children’s Charity; serving as a board member and past President, fundraising at the annual telethon, and volunteering as a committee member for their charity golf outing. His professional associations included ABI and Glen Oaks Country Club. He had a strong commitment to his Catholic faith and was a member of Saint Francis of Assisi parish. Jack will be remembered forever as a huge Cyclone fan, loving all things Irish, a hard worker, a loyal friend, a devoted husband, and a loving father and grandfather. We are richer for his life, love, influence and countless wonderful memories. He is survived by his wife Marsha, of 51 years, daughter Meghan Hirsch (Doug), son Ryan (Stacy), sister Joanna Jones (DeWitt). He was especially proud of being know as “Papa Jack” to his grandkids Parker, Connor and Hailey. Nephews include Justin and Jeremy Jones. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Variety-The children’s charity or John Stoddard Cancer Center.