On Saturday, Aug. 27, Hurricane Irene was planking the Eastern Seaboard and I was cuddled up in my bed, procrastinating the copious amount of reading I acquired during the first week of school. As I was about to return to Marshall McLuhan, my Gmail notifier turned red to alert me of a new message. I opened my inbox immediately and saw it was from Henry Urban - my grandpa, known to his 21 grandchildren as PopPop. I didn't think too much of it, because on an average day I got at least two chain emails from him. Usually his emails were about the airplanes he flew during his 31-year career in the Navy as an aviator or nostalgic pictures of a bygone era when the "Greatest Generation" was in its heyday - aka, before every college student owned a laptop and a smart phone. This email was different. It was a link to an article about honor in the military that referenced the University's honor code. It also included a note which said, "For the majority of my life I've had to deal with issues of character and especially honor, the following is an excellent read and thought it might be a good topic for one of your Cavalier Daily columns." I immediately knew I wanted to work honor into a column somehow, I just didn't know how to approach the topic in a unique way. So I put the idea in the back of my head and kept on writing.
Exactly one month later, I received the last chain email PopPop will ever send me, as he died Oct. 1 after an inspiring, adventurous and beautiful 86 years of living. PopPop was the salt of the earth and I know I will never stop missing him, but as my dad told me, now he'll be with me every step of the way.
While I reminisced with my family at the visitation and funeral during fall break, I realized the most important thing my PopPop taught me was that you should always strive to make people feel special. Since PopPop had seven children, six children-in-law and 21 grandchildren, I could have easily been just a number. But PopPop knew about my life at school, sent me a calendar and a note every month, and read my columns religiously. He would send me emails after he read them telling me how much he enjoyed them because it showed I was "not only cute, but literate."
Read More
How study abroad taught me to stop studying
By Grace Scott | 5 days agoTurns out, it took attending one of the most prestigious universities in the world for me to realize there's more to life than studying.
Collyn Clark reflects on Space Workforce 2030, building an inclusive space industry
By Carly Stender | May 9, 2024Clark said programs such as the SWF 2030 internship can serve as launch pads for a career in the aerospace industry.
The White Spot: an iconic diner etched in student nightlife
By Alexa Graham | May 7, 2024The White Spot is a timeless diner for Charlottesville residents and students looking for a greasy spoon infused with University spirit.
