Larry Kenneth Bolling, Dr.

We had the privilege and the pleasure of having Larry as our graduate student at the University of Georgia, first in the M.A. program and then in the Ph.D. program in Romance Languages. As a graduate student, Larry impressed us in several ways: he was one of the rare students who was fluent in several Romance languages. Furthermore, his knowledge of, and sensitivity to, different Romance cultures, especially Italian culture, revealed that he truly understood the people in those target cultures. Probably the most impressive thing about Larry-the-graduate student, was his ability to read a mountain of books and remember their content. Just to give one example, during the oral defense of his doctoral dissertation, Steven asked Larry if he had been able to read a small selection from a little-known Baroque novel, a very difficult work to read given its "over the top" style. Larry hadn't just read the selection, he had read the whole novel! This was at a time when Google and other search engines could only generate a sentence or two of banal information about obscure and forgotten literary texts. Throughout his graduate career at UGA, Larry never tried to cut corners or shirk from the challenges posed by our department's graduate program. He was one of the most serious and dedicated graduate students we had ever had in Italian. Larry was also one of the most professional and pleasant individuals we knew. We never heard him say anything negative about anyone. Larry, in fact, was always charitable in his comments about others, maybe more charitable than they deserved. At the most, Larry would make a humorous remark about someone, and he would do so without the slightest hint of sarcasm. Along with his intellectual gifts, Larry's sense of humor and positive attitude served him well throughout his academic career. We got to know Larry at a more personal level outside of the classroom when he used to come and visit us in Athens. Mia still remembers how she almost cracked up when she heard one of his daughters speak in fluent Roman dialect, not just fluent Standard Italian. Unlike many Americans in Rome, who kept their children in what Roman's call "an American ghetto," Larry immersed his children in the language and culture of the Eternal City. Growing up in a multicultural environment has its challenges at times; but in the long run it is one of the best gifts a parent can give their children. One final memory of Larry was on Christmas, many years ago, when he was alone in Athens. Steven invited him and Mia's two teenage grandsons for Christmas lunch. (Mia and her youngest grandson were visiting her mother in California.) After lunch, the two grandsons wanted to "shoot some hoops," and Larry joined them. Larry taught them some moves which he had learned from someone who had played in the NBA; and the boys were impressed by his skills and by the fact that he knew a professional basketball player. The three connected right away. Larry made their day, and made up for the absence of the boys' mother that day. Larry also revealed that he could connect with just about anyone. It is not surprising that he was such a successful missionary and minister. With his multicultural background and his understanding of human nature, Larry was a real gift to many people. We will always have fond memories of him. Steven Grossvogel and Mia (Maria) Cocco