William D. Collins

William D. "Bill" Collins passed away peacefully on October 10, 2023, in Parkersburg, WV.
A graduate of Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas and the University of Texas at Austin ('54- BS), Bill had a distinguished Naval career. Trained as an aviator, he flew Super Constellations on the northern DEW Line before becoming a Public Information Officer on the staffs of the Navy's Chief of Information Officer and the Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic.
From 1965 to 1967, Collins was on RADM John Bulkeley's staff at Guantanamo Bay. He served as PIO while operating the base AM/FM/TV station, publishing the daily newspaper and serving as Bulkeley's personal pilot. Subsequently, he served as the COMNAVAIRPAC PAO for several tours from 1967-1977.
For one year Bill was the staff public affairs and policy officer for Commander, U.S. Forces Vietnam, as well as the Operations Officer for the American Forces Vietnam Radio & TV Network.
While at COMNAVAIRPAC at Naval Air Station North Island, he oversaw the press coverage of the return of the USS Pueblo crew and the subsequent Court of Inquiry for its skipper, Lloyd Bucher. A racial riot aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in 1972 resulted in the court martial of 23 sailors and a Congressional Committee hearing in San Diego. CDR Collins was the principal spokesman for both.
He served as the U.S. Navy liaison with Hollywood, coordinating with the crews of "Tora! Tora! Tora!", "MacArthur", "Gray Lady Down" and "Airport '77". He established a teleproduction studio at North Island and instituted closed circuit video on all of the aircraft carriers in the Pacific. This enabled onboard playback of sports and TV events from home. He produced over 50 "Familygrams" that were taped at NAS Lemoore, enabling dependent families to send personal messages to their deployed loved ones.
Bill always creatively focused government resources to welcome returning vets and increase morale. He also found time to be active with the Boy Scouts, the USO and various press and public relations clubs.
After leaving the Navy in 1977, Collins took over Diamond Jack Enterprises, a produce processing company that is still in operation. Retirement afforded him the time for woodworking, his true passion. In 1991, he and fellow Navy retirees Harry Feucht and Jack Thurman opened a woodshop at 632 Ninth Ave. in downtown San Diego. For over thirty years the shop was an affable center of craftsman culture, producing toys and furniture for Children's Hospital and walking staffs for Wounded Warriors, among thousands of other beautiful wooden items.
Bill Collins is survived by his wife, Jean Pickering Collins of Williamstown, West Virginia, and ex-wife Esther G. Collins of San Diego. He is mourned and lovingly remembered by his children, Kenneth Collins, Mary Esther Streightiff, Gretchen Taylor (CAPT. USN ret.) and Charles Howard Collins.
A celebration of his remarkable life will be held February 4, 2024 in Tierrasanta, CA.