Mother’s Day Special:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

For the second consecutive year, this site wanted to honor a mom that goes above and beyond in a Mother’s Day tribute story.

And I couldn’t think of a more deserving person than 48-year old Kim Urban Collett.

Collett graduated from Glendora High School in 1990 and she and her husband (Dan Collett) had two boys.

Campbell was born in 2001, and his little brother, Carson, entered the world in 2003.

Dan and Kim loved being their parents and both played equal roles in the lives of their two young boys.

Unfortunately, for all of the beauty that life can offer, it also has the unchallenged strength to drop a person to his/her knees.

In 2009, and over a two-year stretch, Kim would be forced to endure a pair of tragedies.

The first being a sudden and fatal heart attack to her 72-year old father, Joe Urban.

And approximately two years later, the untimely death of her husband made Kim both a widow and single mother to a pair of boys that were 10 and eight at the time.

No one could have blamed her if she tapped out for a little while to get over the two heartbreaking losses in her life.

But that’s not how Kim Urban Collett rolls.

She’s an intelligent, loving, fiercely-strong and dedicated daughter, sister, aunt, mom and friend.

In a phone conversation with 81-year old Bonnie Urban, on Thursday night, Kim’s mom gushed with pride about the amazing person her daughter has become, and how she’s dealt with life’s most devastating moments.

“When her dad died, we were both shocked and devastated,” Bonnie said. “Kim and her father were very close, so she had a tough time dealing with it. For the first few days after Joe’s passing, Kim stayed with me, because she wanted to make sure I wasn’t alone, and I’ll always be grateful for that. And when Dan passed away, the first thing she told me was that her boys take priority over anything or anyone, and I am so proud of her for that. She’s always put her kids first, as all great moms (and dads) do.”

Kim would be the first to tell you just how lucky she is to have the love and support from Dan’s family, her family and friends, which includes her 52-year old brother, Michael, who lives with his wife and three kids in Wisconsin.

Dan Collett’s friends have awarded their unconditional love to Kim and the boys, and an example of that was a golf tournament in Dan’s honor that was designed to help pay for Campbell and Carson’s college tuition.

With the heavy burden of having to move forward after the passing of her father and husband, who could have guessed that Kim would have chosen a career path years prior that would end up helping her get through the darkest time of her life?

She’s a licensed marriage and family therapist, and her passion is helping the underdog and people living with disabilities or hardship.

After graduating from GHS in 1990, she went on to earn degrees from Citrus College, Cal State Fullerton and then finished her academic career with a Masters Degree in Psychology from Chapman University.

It’s tough and grueling work, but the satisfaction she gets from improving lives is immeasurable.

As mentioned above, Campbell Collett was just eight when his grandpa died and 10 when his dad passed away.

And in spite of being that young, he vividly recalls thinking that he needed to step up and help contribute to the family financially and do whatever he could to help raise his little brother.

Campbell has many interests that he’s pursuing, which includes the producing of music and working in the fashion world.

“I got my work ethic from my mom,” Campbell said. “She spends all day and night helping others and then she comes home to be our mom. There isn’t a sacrifice that she hasn’t made for us and that really pushed me to want to contribute to my family and help make things easier on her. We’ve been lucky enough to get support from both my mom and dad’s side of the family and their friends have been with us every step of the way. Carson and I know we have the best mom  in the world and we both look up to her.”

Carson is a senior at Glendora High School, where he plays catcher and hits in the middle of the Tartans’ lineup.

He’s first in RBIs (22), second in hits (20), doubles (seven), triples (three) and slugging percentage (.453), and fourth in batting average (.351).

Both of her boys have always prioritized their education, because that’s something their mom has stressed from day one.

Carson is set to attend APU and play baseball for the Cougars in the spring of 2022.

“My mom is a remarkable and tough woman,” Carson said. “Even when she was going through all of that adversity, her love and support for us never changed. She always put us first and Campbell and I are so appreciative of that. She tries to attend every baseball game I play in, because she knows how much I want to see her in the stands. She’s not just a great mom, she’s a great person too.”

Among the scores of family and friends that have played immeasurable roles in their lives, Campbell and Carson are very close with Bonnie Urban, and they say their mother carries all of their grandma’s admirable traits.

And for her part, Bonnie couldn’t be more proud to be the grandma of Campbell and Carson Collett.

“I think what makes me most proud is the way they treat everyone that comes into their lives,” she said. “They also do everything they can not to add more drama to Kim’s life, because they love and respect her so much. They really do take after their mom. Campbell and Carson love me and I know it.”

Kim is often seen taking photos throughout Glendora High baseball games, but unlike many parents throughout the country, it’s not just about her son.

She takes dozens and dozens of pictures during each game, and at some point that night, she posts a huge photo gallery on Facebook for all the parents to see.

It’s been said the truest way to gauge the job a parent has done is to see how their children carry themselves and represent the family name.

Campbell and Carson are living proof they were raised the right way, and that has to evoke a giant smile from their dad in Heaven.

What are some signs to indicate that you’re a great mom?

When both of your boys consider you their best friend, and they want to be a better person because of the example you’ve set.

Perhaps there is no greater testimony to Kim’s parenting than watching Campbell and Carson put the needs of their family above anything else.

While Campbell is chasing his dreams with his mom’s support and blessing, Carson intends to follow in her footsteps and dedicate his adult life to helping those in need.

And it doesn’t get much better than that.

Happy Mother’s Day, Kim!

Below: watch Campbell and Carson talk about their mom’s impact on their lives in a two-clip interview, and further down, read what Janey Batista Beck, Glendora baseball coach Dan Henley and Michael Urban had to say about Kim.

 

Quotable:

Kim’s best friend & 1988 GHS graduate, Janey Batista Beck: “Kim is such a great person, because she is solid and honest. We call her the vault. I can trust her with my life. Her values are impeccable and it’s the one thing she doesn’t compromise on. Watching Kim take on both roles was heartbreaking. As her best friend, knowing she wanted so badly for the kids to have their dad was a painful time, but seeing her rapport with her boys was amazing. There were times that Carson had to have a father-son night and a coach would go with him. But for everything else, Kim has been there every step of the way and has the ability to talk her boys through difficult times. Kim is a treasured friend. She is someone I can count on even through she has been through so much. Kim is so intelligent and totally type-A. Kim has always put the boys first and is truly the best.  I hope she knows that her boys feel so lucky to have her.”

Glendora baseball coach, Dan Henley: “I have been so impressed with how Carson has carried himself throughout his high school years as a student-athlete. He has dealt with so much adversity in his life in a tremendously positive way. He is always the guy lifting other people up. When he enters the room, great things happen. He has way of making you feel good about yourself. It’s obvious to me that he has had a tremendous support system in his life and his mother, Kim, is at the center of that. I am grateful for his consistency of great character.”

Kim’s 52-year old brother, Michael Urban: “Kim is an incredibly strong woman and an amazing mother. Despite a demanding job at which she excels, she always prioritizes the needs of Campbell and Carson. She provides a perfect balance between giving them unconditional love and still holding them accountable to be the best young men they can be. I admire that Campbell and Carson respect Kim as a parent but also consider her one of their closest friends. Those boys are terrific people, because of the time, effort and example Kim gives them.”

** To view a photo gallery of Kim over the years with family and friends, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook