David D’Agostino ’06 was well known on campus for his curiosity, warmth and wit. He was also widely admired for the independence and perseverance with which he overcame blindness.
He died on Friday, March 14, 2008 at his home in Colonie, N.Y. He was 25.
“He was such a nice guy, so polite, bright and hardworking,” said his advisor, Prof. Linda Stanhope of Psychology. “He just never let [blindness] keep him down at all.”
D’Agostino was an ID major in history and psychology. He transferred to Union from Schenectady County Community College at the start of his junior year. He had been blind since his mid-teens, the result of a brain tumor.
He had a strong interest in music – especially hip-hop, reggae and blues – and he took on the persona of DJ Wits to provide music for campus events. He was a popular DJ the last three years at the Party in the Garden, said Matt Milless, director of student activities. “The students loved him,” said Kerrie Wolf, assistant director. “He had all the music that they wanted. He had quite the variety.”
He had a radio show at the University at Albany, and served as DJ for a number of clubs in the region.
As a student, he was a frequent reporter and commentator to Concordiensis.
“He was such an independent person who rarely asked for help,” recalled Shelly Shinebarger, director of student support services, who worked closely with him to provide academic and logistical accommodations.
He took public transportation each day from his home in Colonie to Nott Terrace, and from there he would walk to campus, Shinebarger said. Rarely, she said, he would ask for a ride from Campus Safety. Shinebarger recalls the day David showed up in her office after being hit by a car while crossing the street. “He said he was fine and that he just needed to sit down,” she said.
After he graduated, Shinebarger stayed in touch with David. They met for lunch about once per term, most recently last week, she said.
Prof. George Bizer recalls David as a student in his experimental psychology class, a challenging course that requires analysis of visual data. “I thought, ‘how is he possibly going to understand this stuff?’” Bizer recalls. But using a small tactile graph to communicate concepts and occasional explanations from the professor, David mastered the material.
William Thomas, director of International Studies, recalls David’s fearless approach to the unknown. He made two trips to England, and one to Germany. “The amazing part of David was his independence,” said Thomas, who helped arrange his term abroad in York, England. At York, he received the Kate Hollister Prize as an outstanding study abroad student, and he returned to commencement at York St. John University to receive the prize and a warm ovation, Thomas said.
“He loved participating in everything we arranged for the exchange students during his term abroad,” said Maggie Williams, a coordinator of exchanges at York, “especially going to Paris and realizing a childhood dream of visiting the Eiffel tower and the Louvre.” Said Priscilla Preston, head of Student Services at York, “I don’t think I have ever known an exchange student to leave such a positive imprint upon the University and the people around him.”
Funeral services will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at NewComer-Cannon Family Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd., Colonie (Rte. 155 south of Central Ave). Calling hours will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be in Memory’s Garden. Memorial contributions may be made to Northeast Association of the Blind at Albany, 301 Washington Ave. Albany, N.Y. 12206 or Habitat for Humanity, 696 Delaware Ave, Albany, N.Y. 12209.