HERMON - On December 25, 2014, John F. Collins, 67, passed away at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor, Maine after a brief battle with respiratory illness. He was born in Bangor, Maine on October 17, 1947, the son of Frederick W. Collins and Alice P. Collins.
John graduated from Bangor High School in 1965 and joined the Marines in 1966. He served in the Viet Nam conflict in Da Nang as a telecommunications specialist. After his honorable discharge from the Marines, John worked at various occupations and settled in South Windsor, Connecticut. He worked at Rex Lumber and studied briefly at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to be a wood processing grader and tallyman. Eventually, he grew restless with that occupation and finished his 24 year career with Rex Lumber as a truck driver. He entertained his family and friends with stories of the road. Eventually, he retired to Maine.
John enjoyed music, boating, camping and friends. When he was in Connecticut, he was a “regular” at the Fat Cat Café where he would enjoy his friends and co-workers. His biggest passion in life was his love of animals. Katie, his first dog, was at his side wherever he went. He would drive all the way to his sister’s camp just so that Katie could go for a swim. After he lost Katie, his sister brought him Sadie, a black lab mix. He always said that he enjoyed talking to Sadie more than most people. When he lost her last year, his loneliness was evident. In recent years, John suffered from PTSD and slowly limited his world to his home on the Fuller Road in Hermon. He was supportive of Veterans groups and stayed connected with his friends through e-mail. In November, he began rehabilitation at the Maine Veterans Home in Bangor, Maine.
John is survived by his sister, Betty Inman, and her husband, Mike; his brother, Tony Adams, and his wife Eileen; his brother, Ronald Adams, and his wife, Rosie; and several nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by his brother, Gary A. Adams, and his parents. He will be missed and fondly remembered by his niece, Vickie Adams, who provided assistance to him for many years as well as his good friend, Walter Frati, who provided maintenance assistance.
Family and friends are invited to share in a memorial service on Friday, January 2, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Brookings-Smith Funeral Home, 133 Center Street, Bangor, Maine. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith Family Center, 163 Center Street, Bangor, following the service. Interment will be private for the family. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com
John graduated from Bangor High School in 1965 and joined the Marines in 1966. He served in the Viet Nam conflict in Da Nang as a telecommunications specialist. After his honorable discharge from the Marines, John worked at various occupations and settled in South Windsor, Connecticut. He worked at Rex Lumber and studied briefly at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to be a wood processing grader and tallyman. Eventually, he grew restless with that occupation and finished his 24 year career with Rex Lumber as a truck driver. He entertained his family and friends with stories of the road. Eventually, he retired to Maine.
John enjoyed music, boating, camping and friends. When he was in Connecticut, he was a “regular” at the Fat Cat Café where he would enjoy his friends and co-workers. His biggest passion in life was his love of animals. Katie, his first dog, was at his side wherever he went. He would drive all the way to his sister’s camp just so that Katie could go for a swim. After he lost Katie, his sister brought him Sadie, a black lab mix. He always said that he enjoyed talking to Sadie more than most people. When he lost her last year, his loneliness was evident. In recent years, John suffered from PTSD and slowly limited his world to his home on the Fuller Road in Hermon. He was supportive of Veterans groups and stayed connected with his friends through e-mail. In November, he began rehabilitation at the Maine Veterans Home in Bangor, Maine.
John is survived by his sister, Betty Inman, and her husband, Mike; his brother, Tony Adams, and his wife Eileen; his brother, Ronald Adams, and his wife, Rosie; and several nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by his brother, Gary A. Adams, and his parents. He will be missed and fondly remembered by his niece, Vickie Adams, who provided assistance to him for many years as well as his good friend, Walter Frati, who provided maintenance assistance.
Family and friends are invited to share in a memorial service on Friday, January 2, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Brookings-Smith Funeral Home, 133 Center Street, Bangor, Maine. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith Family Center, 163 Center Street, Bangor, following the service. Interment will be private for the family. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com
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