Vincent James Cilimberg Jr. ‘50, professor emeritus and former head of building construction at Virginia Tech, died Jan. 31 at the age of 97.

Known as Mr. C to his students, Cilimberg served as a professor and chairman in the Department of Building Construction. Over the course of working  1976 to 1995, he taught and mentored dozens of students in Blacksburg, many of whom say they were forever changed by his leadership.

“His empathy and concern for his students’ well-being and future success were evident. He gave me a chance when I needed it, and I owe my success and career to the fact that he believed in me,” said Steve Daves ‘89.  “I will never forget the repeated phrase that he used during our first-year class: ‘When in Rome, you must do as the Romans do.’”

It’s one of many aphorisms his former students still hold dear, with others including “Live by the specs, die by the specs” and “You learn by doing even if you haven’t learned what you need to do.”

His wise words came from his time serving in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946 where he proudly fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. After the war, Cilimberg, he came to Virginia Tech to study architecture and began his professional career in in the industry becoming a partner in Marcellus, Wright, Cox, Cilimberg & Ladd in Richmond. He then went into his second career, returning to Virginia Tech to impart his years in the industry onto the next generation of leaders.

Associate Professor Thomas Mills started out as one of Cilimberg’s students in building construction before transitioning into a colleague towards the end of Cilimberg’s tenure. In both roles, Mills admired the way Cilimberg cared for his students. According to Mills, Cilimberg was an early adopter of using real projects in the classroom with the former Strouble Creek waste facility project. It became an area that pushed Virginia Tech into a leadership role, and other universities saw as an innovative learning technique.

Paul Carter ‘96 remembers Mr. C as the professor who preached the fundamentals needed for students to build successful careers.  

“He laid the foundation of the world I would enter,” said Carter. “Not only did I not miss a beat, but I have excelled.”

During Cilimberg’s tenure, he advocated for the department to grow and develop by recruiting and turning out top talent in the industry. He served as chairman for building construction twice, both in 1982 and in 1994. During that time, the university added an M.S. Arch. in Construciton Management. Now, the department is home to around than 450 undergratudate students and sits in the Myers-Lawson School of Construction which was created in 2006. The school is also home to the Construction Engineering and Management program.

Those efforts explain why Larry Kraemer ‘88 called Cilimberg the “face of the building construction program.”

Cilimberg’s connections with alumni remained strong upon his retirement in 1995. His alumni connections established a scholarship in his name. To date, the Vincent J. Cilimberg Scholarship has helped many students by giving out thouusands of dollars to help them continue into a career in construction.

Cilimberg leaves behind three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be made to either the Hokie Club Scholarship Fund or The Vincent J. Cilimberg Scholarship in the Department of Building Construction and the Myers-Lawson School of Construction.