Derrick Charles “D.C.” Vito passed away on Saturday, October 22, 2022 in Brooklyn, New York at the age of 47. Derrick was born on April 29, 1975 in Wheatridge, Colorado to Rick Vito and Marianne Perez. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and earned a B.S. in International Affairs in 1997. In 2008, he married Emily Long in Vermont.

Derrick was devoted to a life of service. He became politically active in high school, working on local campaigns; this passion continued when he moved to New York City in 2000. After college, he joined the Peace Corps to provide postnatal support to women in Mali. As head of the Geographic and Information Systems (mapping) department for ConEdison, Derrick worked on the rubble pile in lower Manhattan as part of the city’s recovery effort from the attacks on September 11, 2001. That haunting work stayed with Derrick and affected him in profound ways throughout the rest of his life. In 2007 he co-founded The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project), a non-profit organization which provided hands-on media literacy education services to thousands of people in low-income communities throughout the boroughs of New York City and beyond.

Derrick was a passionate hockey player. He led the CU-Boulder hockey team as a captain playing defense, and continued to play in recreational leagues after college, often setting records for penalty minutes, a feat for which he was fiercely proud. He was also an avid soccer fan and closely followed Arsenal and the Italian National Team.

His other interests were numerous and often esoteric. He cared deeply for education and nature, spending childhood summers at his uncle’s monastery in the Colorado mountains. Derrick also volunteered and learned about sailing on a historical multi-mast schooner, the Pioneer, sailing out of South Street Seaport. He was also a volunteer in the educational center at the American Museum of Natural History. Derrick loved cooking, especially for the people he loved; his favorite dishes to make were green chile and anything using a Dutch oven or that included red sauce. His New Year’s Day lasagna celebrations were a point of personal pride and an annual highlight for many friends. He also loved experimental film, and studied closely with Stan Brakhage while at the University of Colorado. Derrick adored jazz, particularly John Coltrane, and was a deep student of history, including the Civil War and World War II. Derrick loved literature about spirituality, especially the work of Thich Nhat Hanh, J.D. Salinger and too many poets to mention. With Emily, he traveled the world (France was a favorite destination), grew The LAMP into a nationally-recognized leader in fighting misinformation, raised well-loved dogs and cats, and played many pranks on friends who (sometimes) appreciated his dark humor and wry wit.

Derrick is survived by his wife Emily, his father Rick and his wife Kathi, his mother Marianne and her husband Edward, his sister Jennifer, numerous nieces and nephews, and a vast network of carefully curated family members and friends. A virtual memorial service is planned for Sunday, November 6 at 12pm ET/11am CT/9am PT, and all are welcome to attend. Gifts in his memory may be directed to the ASPCA at aspca.org or to Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue at rmpuppyrescue.org.

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