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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 66
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In Memory |
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of |
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William Collins Jr. |
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WHEREAS, Family and friends will long cherish their |
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memories of William Bernard Collins Jr. of Gilmer, who passed |
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away on August 7, 2025, at the age of 93; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of William Bernard Collins Sr. and Louise |
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Pearl MacGregor Collins, Bill Collins was born in Branchville, |
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Maryland, on May 19, 1932, and he grew up with the companionship |
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of four siblings, Robert, Nathaniel, Norma, and Glen; after |
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moving with his family to Texas when he was a teenager, he |
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attended Galena Park High School, where he played football and |
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baseball; in 1950, he enlisted in the United States Navy and |
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served his country during the Korean War; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Collins subsequently embarked on a career as |
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a mechanical maintenance technician at Crown Cork & Seal Company |
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in Houston; he later transferred to Longview and settled in the |
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rural area of Gilmer, where he took pleasure in raising farm |
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animals and gardening; active in his community, he was a longtime |
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member of Lions Clubs International; he held many leadership |
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roles at the local and district levels of the organization, and |
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he received the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship; he also |
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served on the board of the Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville for |
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several years, and he was a member of Bethesda Lodge No. 142 in |
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Gilmer; and |
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WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Collins benefited from |
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the love and support of his wife, the former Lena Mae Mayo, with |
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whom he shared a rewarding marriage that spanned seven decades; |
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together, the couple raised two children, Debra and Terry, who |
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preceded his father in death, and with the passage of time, they |
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welcomed two grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; after |
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retiring, Mr. Collins enjoyed traveling the country with his |
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wife in their RV and working at several national parks; he was |
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passionate about researching genealogy and collecting programs |
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from the many church and school events that his grandchildren |
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participated in; and |
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WHEREAS, While the passing of Bill Collins brings |
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immeasurable sorrow to his family and friends, he leaves behind a |
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legacy that will forever be treasured by all those who held him |
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dear; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life |
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of William Bernard Collins Jr. and extend sincere sympathy to the |
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members of his family: to his wife, Lena Collins; to his |
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daughter, Debra Lynn Collins Staggs, and her husband, Larry; to |
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his granddaughters, Stephanie Baskin and her husband, Buck, and |
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Danielle Watson and her husband, Stephen; to his |
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great-grandchildren, Hallie, Harper, and Hope Watson and James, |
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Niki, Selah, and Elijah Baskin; and to his other relatives and |
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friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns |
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this day, it do so in memory of Bill Collins. |
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Hughes |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on September 4, 2025, |
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by a rising vote. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |