St. Thomas alum was educator, Frost scholar
Vincent D’Amico, Robert Frost scholar, retired educator and proud University of St. Thomas alumnus, died of cancer at his home on Jan. 31. He was 90.
During his lifetime, he decided that like Frost he would acquire acres of land of his own. In 2019, he donated 50 acres of land near Conroe to the University of St. Thomas to help it establish a nursing program and to raise capital for the college’s new micro-campus.
“(I decided) I was going to do something and that it’s going to make me excited until I die — a campus in the woods,” D’Amico said more than a year before his death.
D’Amico, a dedicated alumnus, donated more than $1 million in support of the students and programs at the University of St. Thomas, officials said. His donations funded endowed scholarships in various programs, including music, education, communications, environmental studies, creative writing and nursing.
D’Amico was born June 6, 1930, in Houston to typesetter and proofreader Nicolas D’Amico and homemaker Pauline D’Amico.
At a young age, he played the organ in church and at the Italian Cultural Center. He attended St. Thomas High School and later graduated in the University of St. Thomas’ second class of students in 1952, earning a bachelor’s degree in English with minors in philosophy and history. He attended a year of law school before enlisting in the Army for two years, and later returned to St. Thomas to earn his teacher certification in 1956. He began his career as an educator teaching English and, later, Latin at Luther Burbank Junior High School.
His last living cousin Bernadine Falco, 78, said D’Amico was a giving and brilliant man who found joy in traveling, reading and working with his hands. He excelled in woodworking.
“He was just gifted in that way,” Falco said.
D’Amico, who spent more than four decades as an educator in the Houston Independent School District, often brought his personal interests to the classroom, incorporating works from the lauded poet Frost into his courses and engaging students with their surroundings through imagery. In his free time and during school breaks, he researched Frost, learning about the poet’s life and work.
In 1958, D’Amico set out on a Frost-themed journey, toting a clipboard with a list of things he wanted to see and photograph. He visited about 40 literary sites related to Frost, including the poet’s birthplace and his eight farms, all in scenic parts of New England. That same year, D’Amico met Frost — a moment he later recalled as one of his fondest.
Photographs taken during his trips were later used to create postcards and slides that he would show students and display in exhibits — many of which would also be shown at Frost’s established museums.
Falco said giving to others was a part of her cousin’s nature.
But when it came to himself, he was often frugal, said Keith Glenn, 65, a close friend who likened D’Amico to a big brother. Known for his unique style and sharp hats, D’Amico often shopped secondhand then took his clothes to his tailor, Glenn said.
Above all, D’Amico was a lifelong proponent of education — emphasizing the need for Glenn to set aside money for his children’s education and quizzing them with English exams for fun.
“He had his little edge as an educator until the end.
His intelligence, perspective and memory were excellent,” even in his old age, Glenn said, adding that the two would often read the newspaper and discuss the articles each morning.
In the end, D’Amico donated his body to Baylor College of Medicine, a decision he made in April 2016, Glenn said.
A memorial service is being planned and will take place on St. Thomas’ campus this summer.