Vincent Claud De Baun, age 91, passed away peacefully in Charlottesville, Va., on Dec. 16, 2017. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Vincent is survived by his wife, Hillary, and sons, Christian and Nicholas De Baun.
Vincent’s undergraduate years in the Navy V-12 Program at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. were interrupted by World War II, and he later served in the Korean War.
A life-long lover of literature, poetry and the theater, Vincent completed his Ph.D. at Rutgers University with a study of Temple Bar, a late 19th century periodical. His academic career included teaching college English at the University of New Hampshire, Rutgers University and Wells College and, after the assassination of Martin Luther King, he taught a humanities course at Talladega College in Alabama. He also held a number of administrative posts, serving as the president of Lasell Junior College and Cazenovia College and as the director of development at MIT.
He spent his retirement years assisting in major fund-raising efforts at Union College. Always an educator, Vincent delighted in sharing his love of literature with students young and old, from the beginning of his career to the last year of his life.
In celebration of his life, a memorial service is planned for the spring at Arlington National Cemetery.
Charitable contributions may be made to Union College under Vincent’s name to: The Vincent C. De Baun and Hillary H. De Baun Endowment (in support of Schaffer Library and Theater Arts), Union College, Donor Relations, 807 Union Street, Schenectady, N.Y., 12308.