Joseph John Collins

There Lived a Man
There lived a man whose quiet ways impressed all whom he encountered. His quiet ways brought a comfortable connection that immediately led to trust. This man might fool you on first meeting. So engaging was his warm smile that you just might overlook his super intellect. He remembered everything he read and absolutely never forgot a name. This was a man of fierce loyalty and undying love. So simple and modest he was, he worked tirelessly for his family, never rewarding himself. This was a man who truly believed that to love his family was all he needed.
We are so proud to call this man our Father. If we are to live our lives by following good examples, then we as his children are truly blessed. Our Father suffered great losses over the many years of his life with the greatest being his beloved Matilda, whom his devotion knew no bounds. And yet with every catastrophic event that came into his life he continued to use his marvelous attributes, intellect, logic, faith, and love. His greatest lesson taught to his children was simply to think, think about why you are doing what you do. He would not blindly go forward, no, he heeded his own advice. The one exception to this lesson was Matilda. His big huge heart did not have intellect when it came to her, only love.
This man we call Father, had a great faith in God the Father. Through his faith he found guidance and much reassurance. As an example, we could have found no one better, for his faith was unshakable no matter what he faced. This quiet man did not try to convert anyone, nor did he pass judgment on those who believed differently. He said his faith in God made him stronger and from what we have experienced we would agree.
This quiet man we call Father, had two loves, aside from the love of God. The first most important aspect of his life was Family. He was always very proud of his children and enjoyed all their antics as well as their accomplishments. But when he became a grandfather, anyone could see the little lights of joy in his eyes making his face positively radiant. He did not care for activities that took him away from his family but was exuberant with childlike excitement when anticipating outings with the whole family. His family was his focus in life from the moment he met our Mother to his last breath. His family was his reason for his life.
The second love of this quiet man we call father was the United States Marine Corp. Becoming a Marine was almost incidental, yet inevitable for him. Using his logical mind he knew the draft would soon be knocking on his door. He decided instead to make a choice, a choice of his own, to become a Marine. I truly doubt there lived a more proud Marine that our Father. He served with other loyal men, devoted Marines, who became his lifelong friends. Their shared experiences in the Pacific and of course, Iwo Jima, proved to be a bond rivaled only by his family. He not only loved the Marine Corp, he loved his country. He loved the beauty of the country and the diverse nature within it. He adored a car trip to visit lands he had not seen before. He truly was a proud American.
Our Father has now passed but he has not left us. We are the legacy of his life. We, his remaining children, carry within us the same seeds of loyalty, love, and faith. We were so very blessed to have a teacher as a Father. For he showed us love is not a word, it is a state of being. We thank our Father, Joseph John Collins, for living his life of love and sharing it with us with open arms.
1922 – 2015
His loved Daughters are:
Marcia Collins Gray
17380 Tripoli Blvd.
Dumfries, VA 22026
mgray52@msn.com
571 494 7450

Kathy Schoenbaechler
5024 E. Hinsdale Ave.
Centennial, CO 80122
schoenbaechlerk@comcast.net
303 345 3504

Tina Collins
3725 SW 162 Street
Archer, FL 32618
352 214 9832




In accordance with the manner in which our Father, Joseph John Collins, lived his life, instead of flowers, please consider a donation to one of these charitable organizations he contributed to for many years:

1. The American Lung Association
55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150
Chicago, IL 60601
2, Disabled American Veteran
P.O. Box 14301
Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301
3. American Institute for Cancer Research
Dept. IHW 1
1759 R Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
4. All Saints Roman Catholic Chapel
Tavares, FL