John Everett Collins Sr.

Obituary of John Everett Collins, Sr.

Our dearly beloved 87 year old John Everett Collins, Sr. was called to his heavenly home February 8, 2026. Due to liver cancer he was placed on in-home hospice care with Community Healthcare of Texas who gave us very compassionate guidance on this difficult journey. Therefore, he was able to be at home in familiar surroundings and passed away at home in Euless, TX. They indicated that he died peacefully in his sleep. He is sorely missed by those of us who loved him dearly.

He is survived by:

Wife, Joanne Alice Barton Collins of Euless, TX

Son, James Edward Collins of North Richland Hills, TX

Grandchildren, Jacob Edward Collins and Madalyn Rene Collins of NRH, TX

Cousins, especially Carol Brennan of California

Nieces and Nephews and Great Nieces and Nephews

He is predeceased by:

Son, John Everett Collins, Jr

Parents, Wanza English Collins, Henry Marshall Collins

Siblings, Opal Mae Stout; Sidney Marshall Collins; LaVonne Odessa Havard; Jessie

Joann Carroll

John was born in a cab in Dallas, TX in 1938. He was the second youngest of five children. Spent most of his younger years in Dallas, Longview, and Mesquite, TX.

His grandmother, Jessie English, of Longview, was an important part of his life. Married Joanne in 1962 after he graduated from Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.

Educational background:

Graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School

B.M. in Education from Southern Methodist University 1961.

M.M. in Education from Eastman School of Music 1962

Occupation:

Professional musician, French horn; Private French horn music teacher.

Professional experience:

Played French horn in Chattanooga Symphony, Project MUSE woodwind quintet, Fort Worth Opera Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony, Casa Manana, Dallas Summer Musicals, various churches, recording studio sessions.

Director of church choirs and programs.

Private French horn teacher in Richardson and Hurst Euless Bedford I.S.D.schools.

Adjunct faculty for French horn at Texas Christian University.

Taught part-time at Northeast Campus of Tarrant County Junior College.

Professional organizations:

Former member of Texas Music Educators Association

Has been Life Member of American Federation of Musicians Local 72-147

There is so much more to this sweet, kind gentleman who dearly loved his family, people, and his numerous students. Will save some of that for the bits and pieces of information pages. But, I must add here that John Collins was the BEST earthly gift that God has ever given to me and I love him dearly. God truly gave us to each

John Everett Collins, Sr. bits and pieces of information

On the gravestone of John Collins, he selected Psalm 23. He also has inscribed, "With God's help to lift others to make the world a better place."

Due to the testament of his numerous students and colleagues, he indeed succeeded in this endeavor. Many of you have appreciated him as an outstanding teacher and performer, but also counted him as a FRIEND. This meant much to him because he truly loved and cared for you.

He had a very endearing, kind personality and it was genuine:

The ladies of Peace Lutheran Church in Rochester, NY were very pleased that we were to be married.

When he was choir director at Asbury Methodist Church in Chattanooga, TN, the organist was in her seventies and was obviously having memory problems. He ALWAYS gave her the list of music and choral responses for Sunday services in advance as all good choir directors do. She surprised all of us with her own agenda of choral responses which left all of us in the choir scrambling for the one that she was playing. John never was upset about it and just tried to adapt to the situation. Eventually, John wanted to move back to Dallas to teach. When he told the pastor, the pastor indicated his sadness and told him that they were planning to ask him to be their Minister of Music, which was a step up from being choir director.

His Richardson private students came all the way to Euless to paper our trees and write sweet things on our cars during the wee hours of the morning. They stuck around to see his reaction and helped clean it all up. He played the role of disgruntled guy and it didn't phase them a bit because they "knew him" and his sense of humor and kind heart. After all was cleaned up, they came in and visited with us and enjoyed snacks.

On another occasion this group of students gave him a surprise birthday celebration when he came for their lessons. They gifted him with a SILVER, not chrome, monogrammed Cross pen and pencil set that he still has to this day.

Found two cards from students and a letter from a father that succinctly showed the essence of who John Collins is and was. He was special.

John was invited by a couple of conductors at the Dallas Summer Musicals to join their touring orchestra. He felt honored, but declined. He put his family first, not his career.

John was an organic gardener and shared his elephant garlic with many folks.

Worked on his own cars until they became too technologically complicated for him.

He was a talented wood worker, earning an award for an archimedes spiral occasional table that he built when he was in junior high school.

John bought a speaker cabinet through the want ads and built a perfect match of it to make a home for his set of speakers. By the way, he also did his magic building the speakers that lived in these cabinets.

Our home is graced with 2 pier cabinets, a Murphy bed, 2 ottomans, and a set of stacking tables that he created.

The kitchen cabinet is refined with a pull- out shelf for ease of accessibility.

As a child, when visiting his grandmother in Longview, he would slide down a hill on a piece of cardboard. This hill was located next to a glass shop. John managed to worm his way into the heart of the owner and he gave John the job of sweeping the floors of the shop. A true friendship with Pat, the owner, led into learning the business of cutting and installing glass, which led to a trade that John relied on for many years to come when he had the need for the money and the time to do the work. In our home, John replaced all of our single pane windows and patio door with double pane windows and door not too many years ago single handedly.

All in all, John was a very smart, talented and gifted man who was loved by many