Donald Collins

Donald William Collins, 74, of Rainbow Lake passed away on November, 30, 2014.

Born in 1940 in Massena, New York, he was the son of William Watson Collins and Aletha (Collins) Steenberg. He married Mary Wilson on May 28, 1965 in the First Baptist Church in Johnson City, Tennessee.

He graduated from Massena Central High School where he played football and on September 15, 2006 was inducted into Massena Central High School’s Outstanding Teams Hall of Fame. After graduating from high school, he played semipro football in New York and Canada.

Later he went to East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee where he played football and was a member of Kappa Mu Epsilion and graduated Cum Laude from ETSU with a Bachelor of Science in 1966 in Mathematics and a Master of Science in 1968 in Mathematics.

In 1968, he and Mary moved to Paul Smiths, New York where he taught mathematics at Paul Smith’s College for 37 years. After retiring in January 2005, he was bestowed the title of Professor Emeritus. He enjoyed giving students and friends math problems that would linger in their minds waiting to be solved.

Don served as a board member as well as commissioner of the Saranac Lake Pee Wee Hockey Association; he later became president from 1986-1987. In addition, he volunteered for over ten years as a 7th and 8th.grade football coach for the Saranac Lake Central School District. He also tutored many students in mathematics and worked security at ORDA in Lake Placid and enjoyed working summers at the Lake Placid Horse Show.

First and foremost he loved his family and the joy of his grandson, Cassidy, and his granddaughter, Lana. He especially enjoyed watching his son, Teradon, play sports; in fact, he never missed a practice or a game Teradon played. He was an avid reader and also enjoyed woodworking and restoring antique cars. We all loved his great sense of humor.

Don is survived by his wife, Mary, of 49 years; his son, Teradon Collins and his wife Caryn Collins of Woburn, MA; two grandchildren: Cassidy Collins and Lana Collins; a sister-in-law, Sue Collins of Massena, NY, a sister Sylvia Quenneville (Marcel) of Massena, NY and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his father William Watson Collins and his mother Aletha (Collins) Steenberg; his brother Paul Watson Collins and his sister-in-law, Betty Collins; his brother Gilbert (Gibby) Collins; his sister Barbara Steenberg, his brother-in-law Arthur Steenberg, and his step-father Harley Steenberg.

At Don’s request, no calling hours will be held and a private burial will take place at a later date. A celebration of life will take place at a later date to be announced.

Family and friends wishing to remember Donald W. Collins may make memorial contributions to the ALS Association of Northern New England. or to the Saranac Lake Pee Wee Hockey Association in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home, 20 Church Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983