At first mention of Colby Umbrell's name, anyone who worked with him in the Admissions Office invariably cracks a smile.
"He was such a character, in the true sense of the word," said Carole Agelopas, who worked with Umbrell as part of a public relations team.
Umbrell, a football recruit who graduated in 2004 with a degree in political science, was killed on May 3, 2007, in Musayyib, Iraq. The 26-year-old paratrooper was a native of Doylestown, Penn. According to the official Defense Department press release, Umbrell was fatally wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was a First Lieutenant assigned to the First Battalion, 501th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
"We loved him to death, but he'd drive you crazy," said Dale Phelan, who also worked in public relations with Umbrell. She added that he provided lots of agitation, but only "good agitation."
"He was a big practical joker," said Susan Muller, another coworker.
Indeed it seemed that Umbrell always knew what buttons to push in order to get a rise out of someone, or simply to lighten up the work environment. Agelopas recalled that Umbrell would jokingly claim that fitness guru John Basedow - of the gimmicky Fitness Made Simple infomercials - was his hero. One day she came into work to find that Umbrell had changed her computer's background screen to a big, bright picture of the grinning muscle man. To this day that story still makes Agelopas and Phelan laugh heartily.
"He certainly made the day interesting, because you never knew what would happen with Colby," said Phelan.
Debbie Riley, who also worked with Umbrell in Admissions, pointed out that the office often has a very hectic and stressful atmosphere.
Umbrell, however, always "kept it light," Riley said.
Umbrell's energy dominates the conversation whenever those who him speak of him. He brought ample liveliness to the Admissions Office and a great deal of vigor to the football field. Head coach Jim Margraff's memories of this trait of Umbrell's stretch back to his recruitment video, which college coaches use to evaluate high school players. Umbrell had what coaches call "tremendous motor," which means he displayed non-stop, relentless hustling and sprinting action on the field.
Many players must go through intensive training to be able to put forth that kind of playing force. With Umbrell, however, it was "in his genes," Margraff said.
"He had a high energy, and he lived full-throttle in many ways," he said. Margraff never saw Umbrell put less than 100 percent of himself into whatever he was doing.
When his coworkers speak of him, they remember both his zany workplace antics and a work ethic that stood out just as strongly. By their account, he devoted just as much time to hard work as he did to humor. He provided healthy doses of comic relief to the PR division of the Admissions Office, but he was also very committed to doing well at his job.
Phelan and Muller remember that Umbrell, who had back problems as a result of football injuries, would frequently stretch himself out in the middle of the office floor and expect them to simply step over him. Given that he was over six feet tall and of a sizeable build, that was no easy feat. He would bring spaghetti for lunch every day to work, claiming he lacked the money for real meat. While he and his coworkers ate together, he would always make a point of commenting on their "handsome" sandwiches, something which also still makes them chuckle.
"He was like one of our kids," Agelopas said.
By all accounts Umbrell was the type of person who took important matters seriously, yet never took himself too seriously.
Umbrell started working in the Admissions Office during the summer before his senior year and continued throughout the next school year. He had been forced to quit football after his junior year due to compounding knee and back injuries. However his undeniable charisma made him a perfect fit for the job, and so did his physical strength: In the predominately female office, extra help was always welcome when hauling large boxes of files and paperwork.
While at Hopkins, Umbrell was also a brother in Alpha Delta Phi and an avid runner, participating in at least three marathons.
Umbrell's lifelong interest in current affairs and politics led him to choose the political science track. While at Hopkins he did a Congressional internship in Washington, D.C., which sparked his interest in law. Umbrell applied to the Army's Officer Training School with the intention of attending law school on the GI Bill.
"It is a difficult way to get in, and I understand they almost never let you do that but he was very determined and was accepted," his mother, Nancy Umbrell said.
Upon graduating from Hopkins, Umbrell enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Alaska for a year before being deployed to Iraq. While there, he lost almost 50 pounds to be in proper shape for a paratrooper. Agelopas remembered thinking that Umbrell would have been anxious for deployment, as he always liked to be where the action was.
Umbrell was the oldest of four children, and it was common knowledge among those who knew him that his family was extremely important to him. According to Agelopas and Phelan, he was never ashamed to let people know how much he loved his mother.
Margraff agreed that Umbrell, despite his reputation as a prankster, was also emotionally attuned to others.
"He felt things deeply," said Margraff, adding that Umbrell displayed a "unique blend" of sensitivity and buoyancy.
"There were many sides to Colby, but every side was positive. He was fun, caring and there wasn't a mean bone in his body," Agelopas said.
"We could talk about him all day," Phelan said.
Umbrell applied his exceptional blend of compassion and charisma to his duties while serving in Iraq, dedicating himself to helping Iraqi children. He took it upon himself to help a local high school that lacked basic scholastic supplies such as paper and pencils. While home on leave, Umbrell launched a campaign at his old middle school to get the students and community members to donate supplies.
"I can't even begin to guess how many hundreds of pounds of supplies we sent along to him for his platoon to deliver in Iraq," Mrs. Umbrell said.
According to Agelopas, Umbrell never wanted his parents to send him much while in Iraq.
"Just send stuff for my guys," he would say, referring to the soldiers who served with him.
Umbrell was slated to return home again this month. His long term-plans included re-enlisting and attending law school at Temple University. He had ambitions to become a JAG officer (a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps., composed of army officers who are also lawyers).
"He was very well loved, in the army also. We have received many letters and articles written about him. He was also known as a prankster, even while serving in Iraq," his mother said.
Upon hearing the news of Umbrell's death, both Agelopas and Phelan were in states of disbelief.
"I was in shock, because I thought he was invincible," Agelopas said.
His death came as especially devastating news to several of those in the Admissions Office. Phelan has a son who is a student at the Naval Academy. Riley's son is to be deployed to Iraq next month. Thus Umbrell's death hit very close to home for several of his co-workers.
Umbrell's energy, compassion and magnetism were qualities he brought to every area of his life. It has been three years since he graduated from Hopkins, but his impact on those who knew him is timeless - as evidenced by their smiles at the mere mention of his name.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
