On Wednesday Aug. 30, 2023, WHS lost an important member of the Warrior family: Julius Poppinga ‘25. He was a caring individual and valued member of the varsity football and JV lacrosse teams.
“I know all his teammates loved him,” said friend Leah Kainen ‘25. “I know he’d make practice a lighter place, a more fun place — something people could look forward to, and he just loved messing with people and making peoples’ days better.”
Julius was typically seen with a smile on his face, always there to lighten the mood when it was too serious or gloomy.
“He was a jokester,” said friend Tahirih Vahdat ‘25. “He was definitely the person you would go to class [with], [and] he was the reason why class was fun. It was like him and another person making jokes and making everyone laugh.”
Julius was known as a friendly, encouraging person by his peers. He would go out of his way to uplift others when they were unhappy.
“He was a really compassionate person,” said Vahdat. “He’d always ask [things] like how your day was, [or] ‘what’s new and exciting?’ He had the biggest heart of anyone I’d ever met.”
Whether it be competing for varsity football or JV lacrosse, Julius was a competitive athlete. His seemingly indestructible and positive mentality corresponded with utmost athletic performance. On the football team, he was known as a dominant defensive linebacker.
“Man, he always brought his 100% best effort,” said Theron Labib ‘25, friend and fellow JV lacrosse teammate. “He was a crazy athlete [and] a great leader. On the sports field, he always had a positive impact on everything he did. It was 100% effort, and he [did] it correctly all the time.”
His positive mindset and caring personality continually influenced his teammates, helping them maximize their potential both on and off the field.
“One of my favorite memories [was when] we used to go to the YMCA,” said Will McLane ‘25, friend and fellow varsity football and JV lacrosse teammate. “We used to play seven–on–seven football and go and get food [after] and see how fast we could eat our burgers. He was really caring. He always wanted to see how I was feeling and how my day was going. He always used to talk about my future and see how I could progress and … what I could do to be a better person.”
He wasn’t solely athletically focused, though, as he also firmly valued academics. He transferred his athletic work ethic into his school work, all the while upholding a positive mindset that encouraged those around him to follow suit.
“He just always wanted to make his friends proud and his parents [proud], and I think he did,” said Kainen. “He just wanted people to not take things so seriously and to try really hard in school. Although he messed around all the time, he was excited for his classes. He’d always push to be the best at whatever he did.”
Although Julius has passed, his legacy will continue to live on. Throughout the Warrior community, he has influenced some of his friends and peers to live by his ethics, including his academic and athletic mindset of giving forth his absolute best effort while simultaneously maintaining a positive, uplifting personality.
“Julius was a great friend, and everyone should strive to be like him — always 100% effort, always uplifting other people [and] never putting other people down,” said Labib. “On the sports field I’m going to give 100% effort, and everything I do is going to be for him.”
