Neil A. Collins

Neil A. Collins, 79, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005.

Funeral: 2 p.m. Friday in St. Stephen's Catholic Chapel in Weatherford. Friends and family are invited to attend. Father Robert Wilson will preside over Mass. Burial: Brown Cemetery in Aledo.

Neil A. Collins was born in Houston and was the son of Dennis Michael Collins, a prosperous Houston businessman, and Mary Ella McGlinchey, one of the first teachers during the establishment of the Aledo schools.

Neil attended schools in Aledo and at St. Edwards University in Austin, and later enlisted in the Navy prior to the close of World War II. His experiences with aircraft during the war led to his eventual 37-year career with General Dynamics as a logistics engineer. Neil traveled all over the world during his career and made friends everywhere he went.

Although he loved his job and his co-workers, Neil loved family and friends even more. He married Lelia Jean Fryar in 1953, and together they had three children. His grandchildren were especially dear to him, and altogether he and his wife had eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary two years prior to his death.

Neil was very active in the community throughout his life, from coaching Little League baseball, chairing the Aledo Ex-Students Association and, more recently, his work with the Master Gardeners of Parker and Tarrant Counties.

Survivors: Wife, Leila; daughters, Janie Bolger and husband, Bob, of Marble Falls and Martha Levacy and husband, Steve, of New Mexico; son, Michael and wife, Debora, of Arizona; grandsons, Tom Ragle, Frank Levacy, Ray Collins and Luke Bolger; granddaughters, Briana Decker, Samantha Levacy, Sarah Collins amd Rebecca Collins; great-grandson, Sladen; great-granddaughter, Sophie; brothers, Edward Collins of Florida and Don Collins of Austin; and numerous nieces and nephews.