CARROLLTON, Texas — As a child, Nic Nair would spin in circles pretending to be a tornado. His passion for weather only grew as he did.
Nair graduated from Hebron High School and went on to study meteorology at the University of Oklahoma.
Last April, as a sophomore, Nair was storm chasing with two other students, Gavin Short, 19, of Grayslake, Illinois, and Drake Brooks, 22, of Evansville, Indiana, when the car they were in hydroplaned. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said a semi-truck slammed into their disabled car, killing all three.
“We were lost. We weren’t sure what was happening, but we felt the love from the community for us,” Nic’s father, KG Nair, said. “We will continue with Nic’s legacy as long as we have strength, and we are alive.”
They’re turned his passing into a purpose. Last month, the family was in Norman as a permanent plaque went up in OU’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
“It brought back a lot of joy,” Nic’s mother Kate said. “It brought us a moment of happiness again knowing that we are still living through Nic.”
The family has also raised money for 10 scholarships through the Community Foundation of Texas. Nine are for Hebron students in choir, theater, and football, and one is for an OU student pursuing meteorology.
“Nic embodied kindness and love,” his twin brother Krishna said. “Nic was always a soul that always reached out to other people, that always poured his soul towards other people.”
“Even though he’s not with us in a human way, his name will forever live on,” Keane Nair, Nic’s brother, said. “I’m just very happy we got to experience him.”
The family and their neighbors still have green ribbons up on trees as a tribute. They’ve also planted a new tree in their backyard that serves as an ever-growing memorial.
“To live through the acceptance is difficult,” KG Nair said. “Nothing in the world can take that pain away you know but living through the pain, doing good things - what Nic would want us to do - is what’s keeping us happy.”
Nic Nair would have been heading into his senior year this fall. The school has already said it would give him an honorary degree.
Nurturing the dreams of students with the same passions as Nic lets his legacy continue to grow.
“It doesn’t take away the pain, but it helps,” Kate Nair said. “It helps us get through.”