RAYMOND COLLINS

RAYMOND REID COLLINS  
Raymond Reid Collins passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on April 19, 2018, in Herndon, VA. He was born in Casper, Wyoming on May 24, 1929, the only child of Raymond Jean Collins and Bess Mae Collins. He is survived by his loving wife of 27 years, Nancy Auerbach Collins, of Kensington MD; his daughters Jamie Reid Kinsel (Tracy), Cary Ellen Collins (Peter Heller), Lucy Collins Crafts (Morgan), his son Raymond Reid Collins, Jr. and his stepdaughter Julie Auerbach Flieger. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Ann Collins Davidson. He enjoyed a long and successful career as a broadcast journalist, starting on the radio in his hometown of Great Falls, MT. From Great Falls, he worked his way up to larger radio markets in Shreveport, LA., Waco, TX and Rochester NY. In 1960, he joined WNEW-AM in New York City before being made a CBS News Correspondent in 1965. During his years at CBS News, Mr. Collins covered politics beginning in 1968, co-anchoring the CAMPAIGN '80 and CAMPAIGN '82 conventions and election night returns. He also broadcast live coverage of Papal funerals, elections and coronations from Rome. In 1982 he succeeded Dallas Townsend to become anchor of "The CBS World News Roundup"- the longest running news broadcast in history. His passion, however, was space. He anchored live coverage of all the nation's manned space flights for CBS News from Gemini up to the Space Shuttle, including all the Apollo flights to the moon. In 1985, Mr. Collins took "one giant leap" from radio to television and became an anchor for CNN, where he remained until his retirement in 1996. During retirement, he enjoyed golf, cigars on his front porch in Kensington, his 1977 Saab convertible and spending time fishing and relaxing on the East Rosebud River at his vacation home outside Roscoe MT. Arrangements will be private. If so moved, donations in his name may be made to the Montana Historical Society, P.O. Box 201201, Helena, MT 59620-1201.