Ronald John Prokopy was born in Danbury, Conneticut, on Sept. 28, 1935, the son of John V. and Marguerite (Farwell) Prokopy.

He attended Wooster Preparatory School, and received a doctorate in Entomology from Cornell University in 1964. He served on active duty in the Army from 1957 to 1959 and in the reserves until 1965.

Ron was a renaissance man who fully enjoyed science, art, music, sports and the natural world. He was an avid runner, swimmer, golfer, cross country skier, gardener, and opera fan.

In recent years he lived in Conway. He leaves his wife, Linda, of Conway; a son, Joshua, daughter-in-law, Linda, and granddaughter of Indianapolis; and a son, Max, of Northfield.

''Ron was probably one of the two leaders of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the country,'' said Wesley Autio, professor of plant and soil science at UMass. He used IPM as an ecological means of controlling insect pests on small fruits, especially apples.

His research focused on apple pests, especially the apple maggot fly, and he invented the ''red sticky trap'' that captures the apple maggot fly without using harsh chemicals. The trap, which is now marketed as a lightweight plastic ball, transformed apple growing, radically reducing the need for multiple pesticide sprays. ''He was a giant in his field,'' said Mitchell Baker, a graduate student in Entomology at UMass. His research strongly supported Massachusetts apple growers through the Massachusetts Fruit Growers Association.

Because Ron ran his own orchard, ''He could empathize with all the growers. He could talk from experience, and his words carried a much greater weight,'' said Mitch.

Ron had been a professor of entomology at the University of Massachusetts since 1975 and was engaged in teaching, research and the fruit tree extension service.

He enjoyed international renown for his work in insect behavior and ecological control. He received numerous grants, awards and honors, including:

• Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellowships
• One of the first recipients of the Distinguished Academic Outreach Award in 1998
• University of Massachusetts Chancellor’s Medal in 1985
• J.E. Buzzart Memorial Award from the Entomological Society of America in 1984
• Distinguished Research Award from the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station in 1983
• Wooster School Alumni of the Year award in 1983

He was the author of more than 450 publications, and traveled widely, collaborating on research projects in Europe, Asia, Central America and Hawaii.

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