John Collins died at his home in Leesburg, Virginia on September 26th. He was 76 years old.
John is survived by his wife Suchawadee Collins, son Michael Collins, and grandsons Mark and Freddie Collins. He was preceded in death by his parents Dean Collins, MD and Margaret Collins, MD and his brother James Collins.
John was born 12 August 1947 in Philadelphia. He graduated Millbrook School in 1965 and Colby College in 1969, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated summa cum laude with a BA in mathematics. He was conscripted into the US Army and served in Germany for 2 years. He then went to graduate school at Tufts University where he met his wife of 46 years, Suchawadee Tandavanitj of Phuket, Thailand. He received his PhD in mathematics in 1977 and then joined the technical staff of The Aerospace Corporation working there for 46 years, first in Los Angeles, then moving to northern Virginia.
John enjoyed shooting sports and had been a member of several gun clubs. He volunteered as a marksmanship instructor and shooting coach. He also volunteered with the Boy Scouts and guided his son to become an Eagle Scout.
No funeral or memorial service is planned. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Blue Ridge Hospice or the Arlington-Fairfax Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America.