William H. Collins ’48

Bill died June 17, 2022, at his home in Jupiter, Fla. He was 95.

Born in Narberth, Pa., Bill had eight relatives who attended Princeton, including his father and brother. In our 50th-reunion book, he wrote, “I grew up in a Princeton family. Princeton broadened my outlook, my understanding of others. It increased my thirst for knowledge and how it can be done better.”

After playing football at Princeton and being drafted into the Navy, Bill left Princeton in February 1948. He went on to manage a family farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. His later roles included working for Central Soya Co., owning an International Harvester farm equipment and GMC truck agency, serving as regional manager at Black & Decker, becoming director of marketing at the Chromalloy American Corp., and working as an insurance agent in Jupiter.

His son, William H. Collins II, described him as “the salesman’s salesman” with a resemblance to James Garner or James Arness in Gunsmoke who “looked you square in the eye.” His widow, Judy, said: “No matter where he went, he would strike up a conversation with someone.”

A lifelong lover of the sea and boating, Bill served as commodore of both the Yacht Club of Connecticut and of the Chesapeake Yacht Club.

Bill is survived by Judy, one son, and one grandchild. The Class of 1948 sends its sympathies to Bill’s family and many friends.