DENIS COLLINS

1949 - 2021

COLLINS DENIS COLLINS March 17, 1949 - November 21, 2021 Denis Collins, 72, died on November 7, 2021, after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Under the watchful care of the amazing staff at Willow Creek Alzheimer's & Dementia Care Facility, he spent his final days hand-in-hand with his son Dylan Collins, daughter Riley Collins and wife Pamela Riley. A Washington DC native, he was the third born child of Denis and Mary Collins, although he tended to introduce himself as the oldest of four boys which evidently provides bragging rights in Ireland. His happy childhood on the edge of Rock Creek Park was spent chasing any ball thrown, kicked, hit or dribbled; winning spelling bees (a precursor of his literary gifts); and avoiding music lessons and chores. He graduated from Gonzaga High School in 1967, and attended Fordham University, with various mis-adventurous detours to Trinity College in Ireland, Talladega College in Alabama, and Stony Brook University in Long Island. His first career as a versatile journalist spanned several decades, with reporter positions at the Washington Post, Miami Herald and San Jose Mercury News, the last one resulting in a 1990 Pulitzer Prize for team coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. His dream job was as the Washington Post Outdoor Columnist from 1981-1985, in which he was paid to hunt, hike, ski, and kayak, and profile the masters of their crafts. He was proudest of his coverage of an epic three-week canoe trip across the boundary waters of Canada, reporting for the 1984 winter Olympics in Sarajevo and semi-accurate fishing sagas featuring his many friends. He went on to write several non-fiction books, as well as Nora's Army, a novel set in his adored hometown, which won the Washington Writers' Publishing House Club book competition in 2006. His final career was as a beloved mentor, including roles as literary magazine editor at Sasha Bruce Youthwork and as a teacher's aide at Washington Jesuit Academy. It is not everyone who can entice 13-year-old boys to perform Shakespeare while wearing blond wigs, and actually enjoy themselves. Denis had his 15 minutes of fame in 2007 when he served as Juror #9 in the closely watched perjury trial and conviction of Scooter Libby, a high-ranking White House official. As jury spokesperson (his fellow jurors knew a good thing when they saw it), he made the rounds of Larry King, Good Morning America and Anderson Cooper, resulting in memorable sendups from Jon Stewart and Samantha Bee. His 35-year marriage to Pam started out in classic Denis style, eloping at a South Lake Tahoe chapel followed by a rowdy night in a casino, preceded by a year-long biking honeymoon across Europe. With their shared travel bug, they hop-scotched around the world with both children in tow, living at various times in San Francisco, Walnut Creek, CA, New Zealand, Belgium, Holland and Washington, DC. To call him a devoted father is an understatement. He lovingly chronicled every phase of Dylan and Riley's childhoods with movie camera in hand, coached every sport, befriended their friends, and gave them a lifetime of "Dinny-isms". They have both thrived under his relentless positivity. But his truest gift was for making strangers feel like friends, and making friends feel lucky to have known him. He was a born storyteller, and his wit never failed to lighten the mood in a room as he spun autobiographical tales of dubious origin. An enthusiastic skier, golfer, and basketball player, he loved providing spontaneous demonstrations on improving one's form to anyone in his path, as those behind him in a grocery store line came to learn. His happiest times were in living rooms crowded with family and friends, beer in hand, free-styling lyrics around guitars and a piano, always the last to leave. In addition to his wife and children, Denis is survived by his siblings Mary Margaret, Kevin, Joe, and Brendan, and a large number of cherished in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his father, mother, and sister Angie. Services will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make donations in his honor can contact the Washington Jesuit Academy (https://www.wjacademy.org/support-us ) or the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (https://alzfdn.org ). A memorial website for tributes to Denis has been created at https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/DenisCollins/. Services will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make donations in his honor can contact the Washington Jesuit Academy (https://www.wjacademy.org/support-us ) or the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (https://alzfdn.org ). A memorial website for tributes to Denis has been created at https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/DenisCollins/.