Joseph L. Collins

Joseph Lawrence Collins III ( "Joe") passed into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on July 16, 2012. Joe was born in Greenville, Texas in 1927 and relocated to Palm Harbor from Springfield, Virginia in 1989. He was a Mathematical Physicist who led research programs in Seismics, Acoustics and Navy Underwater Sound weapons development over a 50-year career. He was a Christian and a Baptist since 10 years of age and an active local member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater Florida. Joe served his country as a Navy Corpsman in World War II and participated in the Invasion of Okinawa. He earned a BS in Physics at Texas Tech University and continued graduate work at The University of Texas at Austin where he spent 10 years teaching and doing research at the University of Texas Research Laboratories. He has been a volunteer at the Palm Harbor Library since 1996 and has served as a representative for the library on the Palm Harbor Community Service Agency, as a member of the Friends of the Library and as a member and chairman of the Palm Harbor Library Advisory Council. Joe was preceded in death by his parents Joseph L. Collins Jr. and Mother Miriam Kathryn Riddels, his brother Jerry Alan Collins and his son, Joe Collins IV. He is survived by his loving wife Bobbie, sister Carol Nolting, son Clay Collins, daughters Kay Bartholomeu, Kelly Collins, and Sharon Noel, and 14 grandchildren.