George Reardon Collison

Amherst George Reardon Collison

December 26, 1946 – December 21, 2025

George Reardon Collison, 78, of Goshen, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on December 21, 2025, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, just days before his seventy-ninth birthday.

Born on December 26, 1946, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, George was the son of Benjamin Collison, who served as chief engineer at the Springfield Armory, and Grace Reardon Collison. He grew up alongside his brother, Bob Collison, in Holyoke.

George studied at Tufts University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, where he earned advanced degrees, including a PhD in education. His intellectual rigor and lifelong love of learning shaped not only his career but the many students he mentored over decades.

George spent the majority of his professional life teaching physics and mathematics at Holyoke High School, where he became known for his demanding standards, clarity of thought, and deep commitment to his students. He later taught at the college level, including at UMass Boston, continuing his devotion to science education.

As a graduate student at UMass Amherst, George met Judith, a Hungarian émigré who had come to the United States following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Judith was then teaching education courses at the university. Their partnership became both a marriage and a lifelong intellectual collaboration. Together, they developed scientific curricula for the Concord Consortium in Concord, Massachusetts, contributing to innovative approaches in science education and technology-enhanced learning.

George's work in education extended beyond Massachusetts. He taught internationally, including in South Africa, Egypt, and the Dominican Republic, and he and Judith traveled widely together, often participating in conferences on science education and critical thinking. Their travels reflected a shared belief that scientific inquiry, disciplined reasoning, and access to education are universal goods.

George was a devoted family man. He was a faithful and loving husband to Judith Collison. George helped raise Judith's children: Daniel Feder, Steven Feder, and Amanda Feder. George and Judith adopted three children: Benjamin Collison, Gregory Collison, and Evelyn Collison, providing them with a loving home and meaningful opportunities far beyond those they had previously known during their early years in an orphanage in Hungary.

He was predeceased by his wife, Judith Collison; his son, Gregory Collison; and his daughter, Evelyn Collison.

Services

Funeral services will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in George's name to an educational or scientific organization of the donor's choosing.

George Reardon Collison