William Joseph Collins

SUN PRAIRIE / PORTAGE / PORT WASHINGTON  --    William Joseph Collins, age 94, Sun Prairie, died peacefully on Tuesday, May 20, 2014.

William was born in Hollandale, WI on March 15, 1920, the son of William and Alice (McNeil) Collins.  He was a member of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church in Sun Prairie.  William graduated in 1939 from South Division High School, Milwaukee, WI.  He served his country in WWII in the United States Coast Guard in the Atlantic and Pacific Theatres under the United States Navy in wartime from 1942 to 1945.  He worked 36 years for the Wisconsin Electric Power Company in Port Washington, WI.  He also umpired and refereed for 30 years for Wisconsin WIAA and the Port Washington Recreation Dept.  William was well known for his baseball playing in the City of Milwaukee and with the Land O’Lakes Hardball League.  He loved golf and he and Dolores golfed until they were 86 years old. 

Survivors include his wife, Dolores (Lascelle) Collins of Sun Prairie; his son, Pat (Vera) Collins of Tennessee; his daughters, Kathleen Collins of Sun Prairie and Michele Kornaus of Portage; six grandchildren, Patrick (Cheri) Collins, Christopher (Lynn) Collins, Nikki Collins, Brian (Helen) Retzer, Katie Kornaus and P. J. Kornaus; six great-grandchildren, Elliot, Mary Jo, Sean, Evan, Raymond and Michael; other relatives and friends.  William was preceded in death by his son Michael, his parents, his brother Frank (Madelyn) Collins, his sisters, Mary Jane (Harry) Gute and Anne (Charles) Mentkowski, all of Milwaukee.

A private family memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014 at Tivoli Nursing Home Chapel, Portage.  The Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family.

Special thank you to the staff at Tivoli and SouthernCare Hospice, Inc., and the interdisciplinary team for their tender loving care of William Joseph Collins.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Badger Honor Flight, c/o Badger Honor Flight, Inc.,     P. O. Box 258066, Madison, WI   53725.