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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends will long cherish their memories |
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of William Bernard Collins Jr. of Gilmer, who passed away on |
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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 of |
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four siblings, Robert, Nathaniel, Norma, and Glen; after moving |
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with his family to Texas when he was a teenager, he attended Galena |
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Park High School, where he played football and baseball; in 1950, he |
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enlisted in the United States Navy and served his country during the |
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Korean War; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Collins subsequently embarked on a career as a |
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mechanical maintenance technician at Crown Cork & Seal Company in |
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Houston; he later transferred to Longview and settled in the rural |
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area of Gilmer, where he took pleasure in raising farm animals and |
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gardening; active in his community, he was a longtime member of |
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Lions Clubs International; he held many leadership roles at the |
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local and district levels of the organization, and he received the |
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prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship; he also served on the board of |
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the Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville for several years, and he was a |
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member of Bethesda Lodge No. 142 in Gilmer; and |
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WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Collins benefited from the |
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love and support of his wife, the former Lena Mae Mayo, with whom he |
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shared a rewarding marriage that spanned seven decades; together, |
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the couple raised two children, Debra and Terry, who preceded his |
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father in death, and with the passage of time, they welcomed two |
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grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; after retiring, |
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Mr. Collins enjoyed traveling the country with his wife in their RV |
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and working at several national parks; he was passionate about |
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researching genealogy and collecting programs from the many church |
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and school events that his grandchildren 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 89th Texas Legislature, 2nd |
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Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of William Bernard |
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Collins Jr. and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Lena Collins; to his daughter, Debra Lynn |
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Collins Staggs, and her husband, Larry; to his granddaughters, |
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Stephanie Baskin and her husband, Buck, and Danielle Watson and her |
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husband, Stephen; to his great-grandchildren, Hallie, Harper, and |
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Hope Watson and James, Niki, Selah, and Elijah Baskin; and to his |
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other relatives and 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 this |
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day, it do so in memory of Bill Collins. |