James W. Collins

07/11/2001

James W. Collins, 77, of 82 McArthur St. died Wednesday at Berkshire Medical Center. Born in Worcester on July 16, 1923, son of James A. and Helen Coonan Collins, he attended schools there and was a 1941 graduate of St. Peter's High School. He also graduated from Worcester Junior College in 1947. Mr. Collins was employed by GE as a manufacturing engineer in the power transformer department, retiring in 1988 with more than 40 years of service. He was a communicant of St. Mark's Church and was a past faithful navigator of the Knights of Columbus, Bishop Conaty Assembly. He was a member of the Monsignor Marshall Council of the Knights of Columbus and a director and board president of the GE Employees Credit Union from 1961 until 1994. He served on the Pittsfield School Committee from 1965 until 1973 and was chairman from 1967 until 1973. He was a longtime member of the city Democratic Committee and a member of the electrical union, A.F.T.E. Local 145. He volunteered with the Bobby Kidney Sunshine Club. He leaves his wife, the former Virginia M. McGinn, whom he married June 28, 1948; three sons, James W. Collins Jr. of Chapel Hill, N.C., Michael J. Collins of Tucson, Ariz., and Robert C. Collins of Natick; two daughters, Cathleen M. Collins of Natick and Naureen E. Collins of North Adams, and five grandchildren. Calling hours at DEVANNY-CONDRON FUNERAL HOME will be Friday from 4 to 7. The funeral will be tomorrow morning at 9:15 from the funeral home, followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 at St. Mark's Church. Burial will follow on Monday morning at 11 at St. John's Cemetery in Worcester. In lieu of flowers, if friends desire, memorial donations may be made to either the American Heart Association or the Diabetes Foundation, both in care of the funeral home, 40 Maplewood Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201.

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