Loy Cotton Collingwood

COLLINGWOOD, Loy Cotton, was born on February 27, 1925, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hilda Green and Loy Hartman Collingwood; and his youngest daughter, Courtney Willis Collingwood. A lifetime member of the Sons of the American Revolution, he graduated from Augusta Military Academy in 1943, where he held the National Junior Rifle championship, earning his team the coveted Hearst Trophy. Following graduation, he volunteered for the Army Air Corps, earning his officer commission and serving as a navigator/ bombardier in the Pacific Theatre. He flew more than 30 successful missions over Japan with his B-29 crew, receiving multiple decorations for valor. Mr. Collingwood graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and later received an MBA from the University of Richmond. Among several corporate leadership roles, he was the vice president International for H. K. Porter Company and before retiring was with Newport News Shipbuilding, as well as contributing to the construction of the world's largest desalination plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. After settling in Williamsburg, he served as the president of the James City County Rotary Club and several other community organizations. Following his retirement, he enjoyed writing an historical biography about his experiences during WWII. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Herb "Toni," whom he married in Chicago in 1958; their eldest son, Loy Hartman II "Chip," of Richmond, his wife, Elizabeth, and children, Ethan Cade and Camryn Ann; their daughter, Claudia Anne of Virginia Beach and son, J. Grayson Gunter; and their youngest, Allen Kirkpatrick II "Kirk," of Boerne, Texas and wife, Kellie, and children, Drayton Loy, Carson Hartman and Anna Caroline Xiao. A service honoring his life will be held on Saturday, May 1 at 1 p.m. in St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, 3686 Ironbound Road. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions to The Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service (DAV): http://cst.dav.org/ Loy C. Collingwood: patriot, husband, father, and grandfather of six.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.