William J. Collins

William J. Collins, age 84 a resident of St. Clair Shores, and previously Romeo, passed away on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at Fraser Villa. Bill was born on January 9, 1936 the son of Joseph and Gertrude (Veroski) in Detroit where he was raised and graduated from Servite High School. Not a huge fan of formal schooling, he often told stories of his older brother Ron dragging him to school to ensure he completed his education. As his only sibling, Ron played an important role in his life as a mentor and strong male figure. Experiencing the two of them swapping stories and brotherly sarcasm as adults would drive the family to gut-wrenching laughter. Additional influence and guidance for Bill came from the many lifelong friends he met as a member of the Young People’s Club; a tight-knit youth church group that sponsored numerous social events and continued to gather annually for decades. One magical evening, Bill attended a dance in the city where he was introduced to Dorothy Pelts who would become the love of his life. Despite the fact that she was a Westsider and he was an Eastsider, Bill said it was love at first sight and Dorothy told her family, I just met the man I’m going to marry. In 1995, a loving marriage of 35 years was cut short by Dorothy’s passing. Bill has been longing to be with her and dance with her again ever since…and now he can. To provide for his growing family, Bill went from selling cash registers for NCR to being a computer programmer for IBM at the birth of the computer age. He was a pioneer in this new field working primarily in the world of banking. Never idle, after raising a happy family, Bill and Dorothy went on to restore a 5600 square foot 1868 Victorian home at 439 Prospect in Romeo. Dedicating themselves to the Romeo community, Bill served as President of the Historical Society and, along with Dorothy, hosted numerous events including children’s tours, Christmas tours and their legendary Halloween parties. Relying on Bill’s real estate legerdemain and Dorothy’s award-winning skills in cake decorating and hospitality, Bill and Dorothy purchased and began an extensive restoration of the Romeo Cascades Estate. They planned to convert the massive property into an all-inclusive wedding facility. Their dream was cut short by Dorothy’s untimely death. Since childhood, he loved and eventually collected vintage automobiles along with a vast array of unique antiques and American memorabilia. He often told friends and family, “Before you buy something, ask me. I probably have at least one of what you need.” Bill is survived by his loving children Keith (Sharon) of St. Clair Shores, Catherine (Robert) Mazey of St. Clair Shores, and Christopher (Kim) of Grosse Pointe Shores. Grandchildren; Erik (Jaime), Ashley, Robert Jr. (Annie), Shannon, Nathan, Christopher William and one great-grandchild Charlotte. Never ostentatious, Bill often said his dream was to be “Just Plain Bill” (referencing the 1932-1955 radio program featuring a common man with a common life) and yet he achieved so much more. Driven by his creativity, humor, imagination, love of his family and life, he accomplished amazing things, was loved by everyone who knew him and made the world a better place. Funeral services will take place on Saturday, July 18 at 10 AM at St Clement Catholic Church of Romeo (343 S. Main, Romeo Michigan 48065) with burial to follow at the Romeo Cemetery. Local arrangements by the Henry M. Malburg Funeral Home, Romeo Michigan. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Alzheimer’s Association. https://www.alz.org/gmc