May 21, 2024

The University mourns the passing of Clay V. Sink, a longtime professor of business and former associate dean of the College of Business Administration. Clay died May 14 in Clemmons, North Carolina. He was 88.

Clay, a graduate of Griffith High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, earned his bachelor’s degree from Pfieffer University, master’s degree from the University of Tennessee, and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. He was a member of the faculties of Shorter College, Morehead State University, and the Laboratory School of Ohio State University, joining the URI faculty in 1969.

At URI, he served as chair of business education and later as chair of management, before becoming associate dean of the college. He also served as a visiting professor at Programme Nouvelle Angleterre, Domaine Universitaire, Grenoble, France; the International Management Institute, New Delhi, India; and Novgorod University, Russia; as well as a guest lecturer at four universities in China. He also served as a finance specialist in the U.S. Army in Verdun, France.

Clay was active in professional associations, including serving as president of the Rhode Island Business Education Association and of the New England Business Educators. He was a certified administrative manager.

When he retired from URI in 2007 – after 38 years of teaching – more than 200 gathered to honor him, recalling stories of his humor, friendship and habit of saying his favorite word “mercy.” One of his students called him “the most genuine man” he knew and noted his commitment to students. And a fellow business professor – also a fellow Southerner – said he made her feel welcome on her first day at URI. 

The event raised about $70,000 for an endowment in his name to support URI business students completing internships – a subject Clay constantly championed.

Services were held May 20 in North Carolina. Memorial contributions may be made to the Clay V. Sink Internship Endowment for Business Students at URI or to any other professional, charitable or religious organization of one’s choosing.

Read the complete obituary.