Anthony Collins

Anthony (Tony) Cotton Collins died September 3, 2025 at the Reston Hospital Center of cardiac arrest. Tony was born in Hillsborough, Florida and lived in North Tarrytown New York. He attended the Asheville School in Asheville, North Carolina where he made lifelong friends. He came to Virginia in the fall of 1964 to attend George Mason for a year. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in history. After attending the University of Pennsylvania studying communications, he went to work for ABC News in Washington, DC. He then enlisted in the U. S. Army but only served a month because his eyes were too bad. Upon his discharge he went to work for the Voice of America (VOA) in the English Language Branch where he served from 1971-2005. Tony was valued at VOA as a professional newsman. He was calm in the midst of the newsroom's frenzied pace and could be relied on to produce comprehensive news programs. Tony was always ready - with a smile and deep insights into a host of global issues - to help the reporters and anchors who prepared broadcasts to listeners around the world. After retiring from VOA, Tony then worked for Barnes and Noble where he could indulge his love of books and make recommendations for reading material. He ended his career as a volunteer for Travelers' Aid at Dulles Airport where again he could share his knowledge of the area and his love of travel. Throughout his life, Tony loved history, travel especially to the Outer Banks, Jackson Hole, and the British Isles, and his wife Belinda whom he met on a blind date in 1967 and married in 1973.
The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at Adams-Green Funeral Home , Herndon, VA.
A funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday September 18, 2025 at St Timothy Episcopal Church in Herndon, VA.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Asheville School in Asheville, North Carolina where Tony set up a scholarship fund to honor his parents; or to a charity of your choice
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