Wayne K. Collins

Wayne K. Collins passed away at his home in Visalia with his family by his side on Thursday, January 12, 2012. Born in Los Angeles, California on April 21, 1926. Wayne grew up in the Pasadena area and spent his summers on Balboa Island. Wayne graduated from Los Angeles High School and then entered Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1944. After one year at Cal Poly, Wayne joined the U.S. Navy.

Wayne served as a Signalman 3rd Class from 1944 to 1946 on a mine sweeper, the USS YMS-360. His ship was deployed in the Asiatic Pacific Area. Upon being discharged, Wayne finished his college career at Cal Poly Pomona, receiving a BA in Animal Husbandry.

Wayne married Roberta Jane Hale in Hollywood, California, in 1948. They moved to Visalia in 1951 to start a family and Wayne embarked on his 50-year career in agriculture beginning with a company he started called BHC (Batkin, Hovey and Collins) Crop Service and ending with Western Farm Service as the head of the research and development division.

Wayne was instrumental in the design, location and equipment procurement for a large liquid fertilizer production facility near Alpaugh, Ca. His innovation and ideas led to several firsts in the field of liquid and suspension fertilizers.

For 50 years Wayne enjoyed traveling to all parts California's agricultural regions in his "truck" to check on crop production and explore new opportunities for his company, Western Farm Service.

To his closest friends he was known as "Budge" and to his grandchildren he was known as "Hoppie." He enjoyed stays at the beach, which brought back childhood memories of spending summers on Balboa Island, working in his garden, dabbling in his lab experimenting with fertilizer formulations, traveling to Europe and hanging with the family when they all descended at the home in Visalia.

His favorite past time was the family's excursions to Hanalei Bay on the Island of Kauai. The entire family would gather in one house to cook, talk, play games, eat, swim, sleep and read. Every evening the entire family would eat dinner on the veranda enjoying one of nature's greatest shows - sunset on Hanalei Bay.

Wayne is remember by his family, friends and colleagues as a gracious man who found "good" in all people, enjoyed people especially all of his children's friends, was a loving dad and grandpa, and most of all, a loving husband to Roberta his wife of 63 years.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents Dr. Geoffrey and Theadora (Gatchel) Collins, brother, Ronald L. Collins and son, Nicky Collins.

He is survived by his wife Roberta; son Gregory and wife Dorothy and their children Christopher and Kelcey; daughter Devon Greene and husband Robert and their children Austin and Kylie; son Douglas and wife Dina and children Preston, Page and Shelby; sister-in-law D'Anne Williamson and daughter Gail Williamson and son John.

Funeral services will be held at Miller Memorial Chapel, 1120 W. Goshen Avenue on Saturday, January 28th at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers donations to Tulare County Hospice or Tulare County SPCA would be welcomed. Condolences may be offered at www.millerchapel.com under the direction of Miller Memorial Chapel, Visalia, CA.