Dr. Donald Edward "Don" Collins

1934 - 2025

Dr. Donald "Don" Edward Collins GREENVILLE - It is with great sadness that we must announce that Dr. Donald "Don" Edward Collins died on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at his home in Greenville, NC due to complications from an illness. He was 90 years old. Don was a kind, generous, unassuming man who enjoyed the company of others and would talk to anybody with a smile on his face. Born in Miami, FL, he rose from an impoverished background to make his mark in the field of History. Never one to toot his own horn, he would happily relate to others how he failed and repeated two grades in elementary school, and failed a third but was then socially promoted. And yet somewhere along the way, he found a love of learning. After serving in the U.S. Army's 3rd Armored Division in post-WWII Germany, he attended Florida State University and played football for the Seminoles, while earning his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He then enrolled at the University of Georgia for graduate studies and went on to receive a Master's and a PhD in history. Don was the first person to write a scholarly work on the illegal imprisonment of American citizens of Japanese descent living on the West Coast during World War 2. He joined the faculty at East Carolina University as a professor in 1972 to teach Library Science. He later transferred to the History department and spent the second half of his career doing what he truly loved, teaching and writing about American history with an emphasis on Civil War and North Carolina history. He published many scholarly articles relating to the Civil War in various journals and magazines around the world, as well as adding several books on the subject. His writings led to many invitations to speak at events ranging from local history clubs to a dedication ceremony at the US Congress. Towards the end of his life, he was sought out for his work with the well-known lawyer Wayne Collins who defended many Japanese American citizens during and after their imprisonment, and was a major source of information for the recently released documentary One Fighting Irishman that features George Takei of Star Trek fame. And yet through it all, he was a very down-to-earth guy who never thought of himself as anything special. Many people who read this may not have even known that he was a history professor. Don was blessed with the good health to be able to be active and social up until the end. He spent his retirement years telling stories recounting what he had done in his life to anyone who would listen, publishing journal articles, helping others with family history research, and playing with his grandchildren. He will be missed by many. Don is survived by his son Charles P. Collins (Tami) of Greenville, NC, and his daughter Frances Collins-Sussman of Chicago, IL, as well as his grandsons Emmett, Tobiah, and Wendell, and his granddaughters Madeleine and Genevieve. He is further survived by his son-in-law Ben Collins-Sussman, and step-grandchildren Trey, Joseff, Hannah, Connor, Melody, Emma, Adam, and Evan. He was preceded in death by his wife Fay, and his eldest son Sean. There will be a memorial service held on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 1:00 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 307 Martinsborough Road in Greenville, NC. A reception will follow. Arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home & Crematory. Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com.