Roger Collins

Roger Collins, born January 15,1949, died on July 1, 2024. He placed his faith in Christ at age 11 and lived his life consistent with that calling; his faith remained the cornerstone of his life. He was truly a man of virtue, discipline, and honor. His passion for leadership and mentoring others is evident in all the lives he has touched.
He grew up in Odessa, Texas, with his older brother Jay and two younger sisters JoRene and Rita. He felt blessed to have had wonderful parents and great siblings with whom he remained close throughout his life.
Roger played football at Permian High School and was a proud member of the school's first state championship team in 1965. He went on to play football at Rice University, where he earned a BA and then earned a MBA from the University of Texas. Throughout these formative years, Roger's love of people developed. From grade-school through today, Roger put his time, love, and energy into friends – resulting in friendships spanning over 60 years.
In August of 1978, Roger married Marilyn Merten, an associate professor of nursing at Baylor University in Dallas, Texas, and they raised two daughters Lauren and Lindsey. Marilyn passed away after 32 years of marriage, and his daughters remained the highlight of his life. He was so proud of the women they became and their many accomplishments. His happiest times were the times he spent with them.
He worked for the public accounting firm Arthur Anderson and Co. from 1973 -1977, then for a Dallas based, privately-held printing company as the VP of Finance until 1986 when he started at Harps Food Stores as their VP of Finance.
He would become Executive VP in 1995 and CEO and Chairman in 2000. He would lead the Company in becoming employee-owned in 2001, retiring as CEO in 2016 and Chairman in 2018. Through his leadership, Harps has become one of the largest and most recognized independent grocery chains in the US. The National Grocers Association (NGA) recognized his achievements in 2015 giving him the annual industry Entrepreneurial Excellence Award; he served on the Boards on NGA and, also, the NGA Foundation Board as Chairman.
Roger served on the Board and as Chairman of Fellowship Bible Church in Springdale, National Cooperative Bank in Washington DC, Endeavor Foundation (now Excellerate Foundation), on the Board of Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) in Kansas City, Kansas, NWA Rape Crisis Center, and Bank of the Ozarks, on the Board and Vice-Chairman of the Ozark Guidance Center. He was given the Lou Fox Community Service Award by AWG for his philanthropic work in helping communities where Harps operates stores, the Beacon of Hope Award by the NWA Center for Sexual Assault, and the Community Champion for Seniors award by Faith in Action and Washington Regional.
He is survived by his daughters Lauren Collins (Andy Brown) of Lowell, Arkansas and Lindsey Collins of Oklahoma City. His brother Jay (Maxann) Collins, sisters JoRene (Chet) Mills, and Rita (Paul) Hall. He is preceded in death by his wife Marilyn Collins and parents Joe and Ruth Collins. He has many cousins, nieces, and nephews with whom he shared great memories.
On Tuesday, July 9th, a graveside gathering with be held in Rogers at Pinnacle Memorial Gardens at 9 a.m., followed by a memorial service at Cross Church, Rogers, Arkansas, at 10 a.m. Donations can be made to the Collins Family Research Fund at the Cleveland Clinic to support cardiovascular research in memory of Roger Collins. Gifts can be made online at give.ccf.org or checks made payable to Cleveland Clinic sent to: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, P.O. Box 931517, Cleveland, OH 44193-1655. Please include "In Memory of Roger Collins to the Collins Family Fund" with your gift. Alternatively, donations can be made to the Fellowship Bible Church of Springdale, 2000 W Emma, Springdale, AR 72762.
To sign the online guest book please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com