Geraldine L. Collins

To her family she was Genie Mouse, a childhood nickname that came from her maiden name, Geraldine Mellus. To the rest of the world she was Geraldine L. Collins, loving and devoted wife, mother of four, grandmother of nine, great-grandmother of 14, bridge player extraordinaire, kind friend, voracious traveler, curious intellect. And when she was 18 years old, she learned how to fly small airplanes – not a common talent for a woman in 1941. Gerry died August 18 , 2015, at the age of 92. We weren’t ready for her to leave us. Among other things, she had been determined to live until at least 2016, when she wanted to cast her vote for the first female president. She was born in Detroit in 1923 to William and Violet Mellus. “Battling Bill” Mellus was a Downriver area newspaper publisher famous for his tough editorials and tough reporting. Gerry graduated from Lincoln Park High School, then attended Marygrove College in Detroit for a year. She worked at her father’s newspaper for another year, writing for the “society” pages of The Mellus Newspapers. It was around that time that Gerry decided, to the bemusement of her parents, to learn to fly an airplane, something she had wanted to do since 5th grade, when she and her classmates went on a field trip to a local airport and were taken on a thrilling ride in a two-seater plane. In 1942 she met Cy Collins, a soon-to-be dentist. It wasn’t love at first sight – at least not on her end – buy Cy was smitten from the beginning. They were wed in February 1943 and loved each other madly for nearly 50 years. Cy Collins died in 1991. Cy and Gerry raised four children. As well as being a full-time wife and mother, Gerry took college courses at the University of Michigan and came within a few courses of earning her bachelor’s degree. After her husband died, Gerry moved from Dearborn to a condo in Northville. She traveled often – across the United States, to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Costa Rica, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan , sometimes taking along lucky children or grandchildren. She spent part of most every summer in the fishing village of Hessel, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where she and Cy had built a second home in the early 1970s. In 2013, she moved to Oakmont, an independent living facility in Northville. She continued to drive and she thrived at Oakmont, making friends and sharpening her bridge skills. She was always interested in what was happening in the world, checking her beloved I-Pad regularly for the latest news. She talked to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren most every day – and loved to “Face Time” with them as much as she could. She will be desperately missed. Gerry Collins is survived by daughters Jan Collins (Ted Wachter) and Ann (David) Richards, and son Thomas M. (Marilyn) Collins; grandchildren Michael Malcho, Michelle Seward, Jennifer Rennicks, Sean Stucker, Kelly Latchana, Katie Todd, Brian Richards, Kevin Richards, and Colleen Richards; and great-grandchildren Emma Rennicks, Ciara Rennicks, Lilah Stucker, Sylvie Stucker, Patrick Latchana, Luke Latchana, Cameron McHenry, Finley Todd, Leila Richards, Andrew Richards, and Julia Richards., Alex Seward, Michael Seward, and Emerson Malcho. She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Cyril R. Collins, and by a daughter, Kay Kaiser. Friends may visit the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main St. , Plymouth on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, from 4 to 9 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, Aug. 21, at St. Kenneth Catholic Church, 14951 Haggerty Road, Plymouth, with visitation beginning at 10:30 a.m. until the time of mass at 11 a.m. with Monsignor John Budde officiating. Entombment will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Memorials in lieu of flowers may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908. To read Geraldine's memoir please visit http://www.jan-collins.com/Library/genie_mouse_web.pdf