William "Bill" H. Collins

William "Bill" Collins, Jr. 83, of Elkhart and Lake Placid, Fla., died Monday afternoon, Sept. 10, 2012, at Wesleyan Healthcare, Marion, Ind. He was born July 24, 1929 in Elkhart, IN., to William H. and Nancy E. (Hamilton) Collins. Born and raised in Elkhart, Bill graduated from Concord High School in 1948. The majority of his adulthood was also spent in the area working for Yellow Creek Meat Packaging before owning Bill Collins Meats. In 1966 Bill married Zola F. Roach of Plymouth, IN. In his free time Bill loved to golf, bowl, work in the yard and was a diehard Cubbies fan. He was a life time member of The Moose and Elks Lodge as well as a devoted member of both the Dunlap United Methodist Church and The Community Church of God in Florida. Always putting others before himself, Bill made an impression on each person's life he touched, stretching from Elkhart, Indiana to Lake Placid, Florida. Bill and Zola spent 28 years of their married life in Elkhart before retiring to Lake Placid in 1994. To Bill's surprise, what seemed at the time, like a typical move for retired people, a place to spend the remainder of their lives, turned out to be quite the opposite. It was just the beginning of what was about to be 18 of the best years of his life. It didn't take long before "Billy" settled in. One of the first things he did was fulfill one of his lifelong childhood dreams, riding on the back of a trash truck always wearing a smile, a ball cap and offering a good morning to every passerby. Bill never knew a stranger and it showed. Over time his popularity, combined with his love of yard work, developed into quite a side job. He took care of 17 lawns for friends and neighbors, never requiring payment. If they didn't have the means to pay him he understood and did it primarily because he enjoyed it anyway. While his sweet tooth was no secret, often time's homemade pies and cookies were offered up as payment instead. To Bill this was a fine way to live. Each day began with his morning "starter fluid" (coffee) and cereal with cookies in the bottom of the bowl. He absorbed every moment of every day starting and ending each one with a walk through the neighborhood. Billy walked with pride, spreading his contagious amusement and liveliness socializing with anyone and everyone, never walking past a weed left unpicked, scoping out his next day's work. Shortly after the death of his wife Zola in 2001 Bill met his match right down the street. Short a player, he was asked to sit in on a card game at her place, neighbors joked...he never went home. "Maggie the Magnificent" he called her. The charismatic duo walked each day hand in hand from then on. Bill spent his final weeks with Maggie at her summer home in Marion, Ind. Near or far, Maggie always found a way to make sure Bill was taken care of, each winter cooking and freezing enough food to last him the entire summer season until she returned. Bill is survived by his daughter, Linda (David) Miller of Goshen, Ind.; a son, Steve Collins of Arlington, Va; a stepdaughter, Karen (Jerry) Bottorff of Fernandina Beach, Fla; seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and beloved companion, Margueritte "Maggie" Titus of Marion, Indiana and Lake Placid, FL. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, wife, sister, Eloise W. Gerlach and half sister, Florence VanderMass. Friends may call 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 13, and one hour prior to the 9:30 a.m., Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, funeral at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home. Pastor Joe Smith, Dunlap United Methodist Church will officiate. Burial will follow in Olive East Cemetery, Elkhart. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or New Hope Hospice, 1385 N. Baldwin Ave., Marion, IN 46952.