William C. (Bill) Collins, age 76, passed away in Savannah, GA on March 3, 2023 after a brief illness. Bill was born on October 19, 1946, in Jacksonville, FL. He was born to Viola A. Collins and Wilbur C. Collins.
Bill is survived by Marilyn Floyd, beloved life partner; sister, Shirley Sapp (Winston); son, William David Collins (Samantha); stepson, Emerson Lee Floyd, III (Yvonne); four granddaughters, Brooke, Kelsey, Kaitlin, Anna; one grandson, Jared; one great-granddaughter; nephew, Timmy Sapp (Jeanne); and one special cousin, Donna R. Holmes.
Bill attended Jean Ribault High School and graduated in 1964. He later became a certified locksmith for Duval County School Board for 31 years and retired in 1998. In 1999, he moved to Brunswick, GA.
Bill enjoyed fishing with his Son and Dad. He loved camping with his parents, Marilyn, Lee, other family and friends. He especially enjoyed camping in the Great Smoky Mountains, TN. He was a fan of professional wrestling and the Atlanta Braves. He enjoyed golfing and he had a private pilot’s license.
Most importantly, Bill had a very strong lifelong Christian faith. He was a member of North Jacksonville Baptist Church. After moving to Brunswick, he became a member of Waynesville Church of God. Bill loved to listen to gospel music, especially the old hymnals and quartet gospel groups.
The most important thing in his life was his Christian faith and being there for his family and others. He had a very caring, giving, and understanding nature and was able to help many people throughout his life. He was the cornerstone of our family and had some very special friends in his life. He will be forever loved, missed, and remembered.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia, 4627 US Hwy 17 N, Brunswick, GA 31525. Bill loved both of his dogs who passed on before him: “Teddy Bear” and “Brandy”.
A special thank you for pallbearers: Robert Brewer; David Guynn; Mike Kitchens; Bob Miller; Danny Morgan, Winston Sapp, Sean Young; Fritz Zink. Honorary pallbearers: Art Davalos, Joe Haskew, Michael Haulman, Jerry Padgett, Keith Padgett, E. J. Sapp and Howard Wells.
A visitation will be held at Evergreen Cemetery Chapel on March 11, 2023, at 1:00PM and a 2:00PM Celebration of Life Service, immediately thereafter. Interment will follow the funeral service at Evergreen Cemetery.
8 Comments
You were the best brother.
Thank you for always just listening to me talk all these years. We have some great memories together. I miss our phone and video chats but I have a lot of voice-mails I’ve saved over the years that I can listen to and laugh. Called you the day before you left this earth, I do hope you listened to my voice-mail, you know I don’t leave a voice-mail often. I’m going to miss you and your random singing of songs too me lol. The silly jokes you would text me or call to tell lol.
Until I see you again, I love ya.
Bill will forever be missed. Bill was a great man and loved everyone unconditionally. I lost my real dad when I was 10. When Bill met my mom, he became my friend and soon became a father figure to me. He was always there to give me advice and guidance whenever I needed it. I have treasured memories of the last 23 years of camping, vacations in the Great Smoky Mountains, watching wrestling, baseball, nascar and football with him. He was a great stepdad to me and will always be in my heart.
I will never forget Bill’s kindness, intelligence, wit or humor. What a wonderful and caring and genuine person he will always be. Bill was generous and loving. It’s hard to believe he is gone but we will see him again. In the meantime, he is sorely missed.
Heaven gained a great man. Mr. Collins was loved by myself and many of the Sonny’s crew. He and Marilyn always had a table full of family and friends for many years. He sure enjoyed his barbeque and loved his family. Keeping you all in my prayers.
It’s never easy to say goodbye. The smiles the laughs and your kindness will be missed. Thank you for being my friend.
I’ve known Mr. Bill for nearly 18 yrs and have gotten to become very good friends. You’ve made an impression on me with your wisdom, skills and technical know-how on so many things that I needed throughout my life. Thank you for always being there when I most needed your advice. I lost a good friend, but heaven gained a wonderful soul. I miss speaking with you and will forever remember our daily calls to each other. May the good Lord keep you in his arms and in his glory. Rest in Peace Mr. Bill. You were truly loved.
.When I lost my mother at a young age, my dad needed help caring for me while he worked night shifts. Mr. Bill and Ms. Marilyn were a huge part of my life from age 5 until now. Mr. Bill was the grandfather I didn’t have around growing up. I learned how to not take life too seriously, and to enjoy the little moments from Mr. Bill. I will always remember watching Survivor and WWE together, cracking jokes, sneaking you candy bars, and talking for hours on end. I miss you so much already. You will never be forgotten.
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