Obit of Collins, Wilder Willard "Toby" - Pontotoc County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Rita Floyd 12 Sep 2010 Return to Pontotoc County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/pontotoc/pontotoc.html ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::NOT LISTED Ada Evening News, Ada, OK, Pontotoc County Sunday, January 4, 2009 TOBY COLLINS Wilder Willard “Toby” Collins, longtime resident of Ada, died peacefully Tuesday, December 30, 2008, surrounded by his loved ones in Rockwall, Texas. He was 87 years old. Toby was born in Nowata County Oklahoma to Emma and AJ Collins on April 5, 1921. A state medalist in several high school track and field events, Toby attended Coffeyville Junior College. He was later recruited by Tulsa University and played for the Orange Bowl Champion Golden Hurricanes before graduating in 1945. Toby was recruited by the Green Bay Packers, played two years in the NFL, and served honorably in the US Army during WW II. Toby married Evelyn Pounds in Tulsa on June 18, 1949 and after being employed as an insurance agent in Tulsa and Bartlesville, was promoted to District Manager for Metropolitan Life Insurance in McAlester. Toby and Evelyn moved to Ada in 1959 after buying the local Farmers Insurance Group Agency. In 1963, he acquired Collins Home Improvement, known locally as Toby’s Fence, where he worked until his retirement in May, 2000. Toby loved dancing, hunting, fishing, and playing golf. To anyone who asked, good counsel, a great story and laughter were always available. Toby officiated high school football for twenty years as well as basketball. He was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Ada. Preceded in death by ten siblings, Toby is survived by his loving wife of fifty-nine years, Evelyn, as well as his four sons, Judson Collins and wife Lynda, of Mannford, OK, Toby Collins and wife Mary, of Italy, TX, Terry Collins and wife Darcy, of Garland, TX, Lee Collins and wife Shelly, of Sherman, TX, his daughter, Sherri Neeley and husband, Russell, of Rockwall, TX, brother, Dan Collins of Marysville, WA, and sister, Kathleen Hand of Tulsa, OK. He is additionally survived by twenty grandchildren and five great grandchildren. He was loved and will surely be missed by all of his family members and friends. Memorial services will be held 11 AM, Monday, January 5th, 2009 at the First United Methodist Church in Ada, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mr. Collins' memory to First United Methodist Church of Ada, Tulsa University Athletics Department or NRA. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Pontotoc County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/pontotoc/pontotoc.html