John P. Collins

OGDEN - February 9, 2021. John is survived by his wife, Paula (Trotta) Collins; children, Shaun (Nicole) Collins, Erin Collins, Kaitlyn (Michael) Candileri; grandchildren, Divea & Declan Candileri, Andrew Collins; siblings, Janet (Phil) Carr, Thomas Collins, Maureen Collins, Lorraine Wehner, Nancy (Greg) Kies, Bill (Barb) Collins, several nieces, nephews, cousins & dear friends. He was an active member of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians and at Pinewood Country Club. 

Per NYS regulations, all guests are required to wear a mask and hand sanitize at the funeral home, church and cemetery. 

John's life story will be shared during his visitation, Sunday, February 14th, 2-5 PM at the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane (Between 390 & Long Pond Rd.). His funeral mass will be celebrated, Monday, February 15th, 9 AM at Parish of the Holy Family, 4100 Lyell Rd., followed by his burial in Holy Ghost Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to, Alzheimer's Association, 435 E. Henrietta Rd., Roch., NY 14620 in John's memory.

John was born to John and Joan Collins in Brooklyn, NY on July 15, 1951. He was the eldest of his siblings- Janet, Tom, Maureen, Lorraine, Nancy, and Bill. To his family, John was known as Jack. Jack, the brother who tortured his siblings by making them tread water in the deep end when his parents were away. At a young age, John's father took a job at IBM and moved the family to Poughkeepsie then Owego, NY where he would spend the rest of his childhood.  During his childhood, John enjoyed playing football, watching the Yankees, and swimming in his pool.  John and his family would spend summers in Trout Lake and frequented the Jersey Shore many times.

John attended college at St. John Fisher in Rochester, NY. He was the quarterback for the St. John Fisher Football Club, and he would reminisce about his glory days by telling his kids how he played with a broken arm that earned him a picture in the newspaper. He received a bachelor's degree in Accounting and also joined the seminary. After one year of teaching at the Aquinas Institute, John decided the seminary was not for him and he pursued a different career. After sending his resume to every business in the phone book, his hard work paid off and he started the next chapter of his life at Rochester Colonial.

John spent 40 years working for Rochester Colonial as a CFO.  During his time at Rochester Colonial, he met the love of his life and her whole family.  John and Paula were married for 41 years and celebrated every St Patrick's Day with their children.  John was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and his kids loved to watch him walk in the parade every year. Countless hours were spent at work, but he still managed to find time to coach his kids, didn't miss a sporting event for his kids, and volunteered for Aching Arms and the Chili Library. In addition, he never missed a Tee Time with his golf buddies or the annual golf trip.
John and his family would go back to Owego for a three-hour car ride where he patiently listened to the kids ask over and over "Are we there yet?". John was just determined to get back home to see his parents and reminisce about old places, even looking them up on the computer to see if they were still there (also knowing where the chocolate hiding spots were).  
All three of his children graduated from the John Collins School of Driving where the main words of instruction were "Go" and "Woah" in his calm voice. Stop would have been a little more helpful before the car crash in the driveway (yes... this was Kaitlyn the angel). 

After 34 years of living in the "family" home, John and Paula decided to "downsize" and move to their dream home where he could enjoy his retirement. During his retirement, John continued to work at Rochester Colonial, golf, drive his grandchildren to preschool, and enjoy a cigar in his gazebo. If you couldn't find him out in the gazebo, his other favorite chair was in front of a game of solitaire.
John also enjoyed weekly visits with his buddies Chuck and Vinnie G and scrabble nights with his girlfriend Nancy.
John was always looking forward to his visits with his daughter, Erin. Whether it was a trip to Florida where he hid in the shade, or when Erin would come home. No matter the location, he was happy with a drink in one hand, a cigar in the other, and family by his side.
Johns life became complete when he became a grandpa. He loved his grandchildren and would light up when he told a story of one of them. Whether it was Divea showing off her acrobatic tricks, Declan yelling at papa for getting lost on their hike, or Andy saying some intelligent word that he didn't even know. They were his favorite. John was their Papa. "The Papa with the big belly."