Vincent "Vince" Jude Urick Jr.

Vincent (Vince) Jude Urick, Jr., born February 27, 1979 in Sunbury, Pennsylvania died unexpectedly on April 24, 2025 in Alexandria, Virginia. Vince graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes High school in Pennsylvania in 1997, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2001 with a B.S. in Physics, and George Mason University in 2005 and 2007 with an M.S. and Ph.D. respectively in Applied Physics. He lived in Alexandria, Virginia for the last 24 years.

Vince moved to the Washington Metro Area in 2001 to attend graduate school and begin what would be a very successful and impressive career that has included unwavering dedication to national defense and scientific advancement, over 150 peer-reviewed articles and published works, five U.S. patents, a textbook, many invitations to serve as a subject matter expert and countless awards and recognitions in the engineering and research communities.

In 2001, he was first employed as a Research Physicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and served as the head of the Applied Radio Frequency Photonics Section before he moved on in 2016 to explore his never-ending scientific curiosity and love of country at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). At DARPA, Vince initially served as a Program Manager and later Acting Office Director. DARPA’s incredible mission then kept Vince at the Agency as a contractor and consultant until his death. There, he was the mainstay of several efforts, traveled the world, and made many lasting contributions to defense research. Simultaneously, he served as the Vice President of the Defense Technology Division at 2 Circle Consulting, Inc. Throughout his career, Vince was known not only for his technical expertise but also for his mentorship, collaboration, and leadership. He leaves behind many good friends and colleagues across the research and engineering communities.

Vince is survived by his beloved daughters, Elizabeth and Abigail of Alexandria, Virginia; his parents Vincent Sr. and Susanne of Paxinos, Pennsylvania; his sister Mary Ellen and husband Mike of Gaithersburg, Maryland; his sister Lisa McCarthy and husband Jason of Paxinos, Pennsylvania; his brother Mark and wife Lori of Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania; his nephews Nick and Henry; his niece Maggie; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He is also survived by Cynthia Urick of Alexandria, Virginia, his former wife of 19 years and mother to his children.

Vince had an endearing curiosity about science, history, and space that kept a book in his hand and many reserves on his shelves. He loved to share the information he learned with his family and friends and enjoyed showing them his neatly curated collection of fossils, coins, and other historical artifacts. A lifelong Notre Dame fan, Vince especially enjoyed football season and fantasy “picks” with long-time friends. When he wasn’t watching professional sports, he could be found on the sidelines enjoying his daughters’ basketball, lacrosse, and soccer games.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held on Saturday, May 10th from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Murphy Funeral Home in Arlington, VA. Words of Remembrance will take place at 2:00 p.m.