Austin was one of the most genuinely kind people I've met in my time at UChicago. It's rare that such clear intense intelligence is matched so evenly by love and compassion in someone. He touched my life and the lives of those around him probably more than he'll ever know. My heart goes out to his family and everyone who was closer to him than I was. It feels so strange to write this, but RIP Austin Hudson-LaPore.
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Austin - you are one of the most incredibly brilliant, tolerant, intellectual and kind people I've ever met. I met you my first quarter at UChicago; you were that really smart kid in my honors chemistry class who was always chewing gum. I knew you were much better at chemistry than me and I thought that would make it intimidating to have a conversation with you. I couldn't have been more wrong- you thought everyone’s opinion was worthwhile and were endearingly unaware of your own brilliance.
I am really glad I got to know you a lot better this year, after ending up in the same car as you on the OAC trip to Mammoth Caves. When we returned from that 7-hour drive, during which we repeatedly noted how exhausted we both were, we ended up staying up until 3 AM anyway because I had never seen Pierce before and I asked you to give me a tour. We ended up playing ping pong, playing with nerf guns, talking about physics and our families, and running into dozens of your former housemates. You had an overwhelmingly positive influence in the UChicago community. You inspired me to take adventures, to listen to everybody’s opinions and to respond thoughtfully, and to have several hour conversations with people I run into on the quad. I will miss you every day. I wish I had told Austin how much I admired him. Even though I didn't know him well, I could tell he was an incredible person. Even for those of us who didn't know him very well, it was clear how great his potential was and that he was going to do great things. My prayers are with his family and the friends who knew him best.
The world did not get enough time to know the great things Austin Hudson-LaPorehad to shared. My thoughts are with him, his family, and those who knew him best. May he live on in those who love him.
Austin was one of my greatest teachers, despite being thirty years younger than most of my other teachers. Unlike for me, being "too busy" was never an excuse for him to not mentor and inspire younger Science Bowlers. It has been an honor to have such a charismatic, benevolent, passionate, intelligent friend; he'll always remain dear to my heart and the hearts of all who have been graced by his presence. Rest in peace, Austin Hudson-LaPore.
Austin, It was such a pleasure to have you in the house and as a part of our community. You came to "Hot Drinks" and sat in our living room almost every week and could talk about anything from chemistry to sports. You were always good for lively discussion, always comfortable to be around and always so helpful. Even when you moved out of the house you were still here, still visiting your friends and still game for anything. You were loved and now we have to lay you to rest far sooner than we would have imagined. Thank you for being such an incredibly great person and for reminding us to cherish what we have. Goodbye, Austin Hudson-LaPore, rest peacefully.
A year ago and after moving into our first apartment, my roommate and I went grocery shopping for ourselves for the first time. I pointed how new we were to doing this for ourselves and how obvious that must have been to the other shoppers. We were the stereotypical college students used to dining hall food and the cooking at home, unused to and inexperienced with living on our own. He found this especially hilarious, laughing uncontrollably, which, as I pointed out, must have made it even more obvious. Somehow, we survived that summer.
This is one of many memories I will always cherish. Rest in peace, Austin Hudson-LaPore. Austin and I would take walks around campus, talking about our classes, our relationships, our research, and our plans for the future. It was our way of getting to know each other better, since we usually talked about other things at lunch. The last walk we took together was a relatively short one toward the end of spring quarter. I had spotted a turtle near Botany Pond on my way to inorganic chemistry, and suggested to him that we try to find it after class. First we searched the bushes near the main gate, and then we tried the pond itself. We discovered no fewer than red eared sliders, ranging from small adolescents to large adults. I told Austin that when I was younger I had wanted to be the next Crocodile Hunter. I don't remember how he responded. We watched as two of the turtles swam on top of lily pads and rested there, supported by the plants. We laughed when a big turtle tried to rest but was too heavy for the pads to hold it up. Eventually one of us had to go: either I had to get to lab, or he had to get back to his apartment (this was usually how our walks and lunches ended). We usually said goodbye in the following way: I would grin and say "well, see you around," and then he would grin and say, "yeah, see you around," and then we'd go our separate ways.
I never said this to him the last time I saw him, because we were taking a final for our Topics in Biochemistry class. He always showed up for tests just before they started, because he studied right up until he took the test and he couldn't study productively in the classroom. On the day of the Biochem final, he showed up just before the test was scheduled to start, as usual. We initially were quite worried because Marie hadn't shown up yet, but then I remembered that she took her final early. I asked him a couple of questions about the material to pass the time and review a little, but we were both feeling good about the test. When the final finally arrived and we got the test, we started it without saying anything to each other. He was still working on his test when I finished, and I was exhausted and didn't want to disrupt the class, so I just left. I prefer to think of the turtle pond walk as our last good friend time. I met Austin on spring quarter of my first year, in Steve Kron's biophysics class.
As a class we were forced to spend at least 5 hours together every Tuesday evening preparing for the presentations that took place on Wednesdays. During those times we got to know each other pretty well and became supportive of one another. It didn't take me long to find out that Austin was probably the most brilliant person I had ever met. After the class ended, we remained good friends and hung out regularly for the next two years along with Chloe, Marie, and Etienne. A few times each quarter we would all meet up and hang out for an entire day. We somehow always managed to keep conversations alive for nearly 12 hours at a time. We would talk about anything ranging from research to family to chicken tikka. We never really knew how we ended up talking about the most random subjects, but Austin once pointed out that that was the natural development of a conversation. I think part of the reason we always ended up spending so much time together was because Austin was an amazing listener, but he also really liked to keep conversations going. Unlike with most people, I don't recall ever running out of things to talk about with Austin. What I liked most about Austin was his honesty. He was so honest, sometimes to the point of being brutal, but I always knew he meant well. I remember that for his surprise birthday party last year I got some prickly pear sorbet. Austin was the first to try it and he said it had a terrible aftertaste. He then advised everyone not to eat it. At first I was a bit saddened by his reaction because I thought he would like the sorbet, since he was usually really willing to try new things. Nonetheless, I then tried the prickly pear sorbet and I had to agree, it tasted terrible. Around campus I could quickly spot Austin at a distance because he had a distinctive way of walking. When he wore his backpack he would always lean forward a lot and take really quick steps. For some reason, this always made me smile. Something else that I always found endearing was that in winter he always wore his green hat, which was knitted by his mother. He would pull the hat down so that it almost covered his eyes. Also, something that always intrigued me was that he rarely wore jackets, even when it was freezing outside. But then we would go indoors and he would take off what seemed like an endless number of sweaters. This message is really disjointed but I just wanted to share some of the memories I have of Austin. I don't think Austin ever realized how much of an impact he had on my life. I had just graduated from Albuquerque Academy and was preparing to enter my first year at the University of Chicago. I received a message from an Academy graduate, also at UChicago, Austin. I didn’t know him very well when we were in high school, but this didn’t stop him from giving me the most thorough account of what life at UChicago I had received. More than the brochures, or college reps, or the on-campus tour guide, it was Austin who helped me to feel acclimated at my new school. He made this new experience so much more approachable, so much less daunting. In this critical transition, Austin was my greatest resource. It was his witty answers and thoughtful advice that eased my fears. After a particularly long email, after telling me to continue asking whatever questions I liked, he said this: “But then again, what will the suspense be when you arrive? You'll already know everything about this place!” It made me smile, this great wit and kindness. You were such a bright light in the lives of so many, Austin. You will be missed.
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