6/2/48 – 3/5/26
Richard John D’Amico, 77, died on Thursday, March 5, after a long, courageous battle with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Richard was born in Queens, New York, on June 2, 1948. He was raised in Plainview, NY, and then graduated from Cornell University School of Engineering in 1969, where he was also a gifted lacrosse player. He later graduated from Brooklyn Law School, married, had children, and relocated to Florida.
Richard worked in real estate development as well as law in Florida. He volunteered to represent countless abused and neglected children and was presented with a Pro Bono Award by the State of Florida in 1991. He had an enviable record of winning at the appellate level, including a win at the Florida Supreme Court in 1997. He retired at age 65, but continued to work on appellate briefs up until his death.
He was a kind, fun, loving, supportive father to his daughters. He became a grandfather in 2009 and doted on his grandson, who shared his affinity for math, cookies, jokes, and music.
He was a talented cook, baker, dancer, painter, and—in his younger years—tennis and lacrosse player. He loved the beach, music (especially opera and folk), and Italian-American traditions. He was known for taking in friends in hard times, inviting them for meals or even to stay at his house at no charge until they were back on their feet. His Sunday dinners were legendary.