Richard Byrd Collins

Funeral services for Richard B. Collins, 87, of Temple will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home with Rev. Jakie Shirley officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Mr. Collins died Thursday in a Temple Hospital. Mr. Collins was born in the Camp Ruby Community of Polk County December 15, 1928 to Theodore E. Collins and Eleanor Turner Collins. He graduated as Valedictorian from Big Sandy High School. He joined the U.S. Army and served during World War II. He attended Texas A & M and the University of Texas. He worked in Management with the Petro Tex Refinery for thirty years. He was a member of Memorial Baptist Church. He moved to Temple from Houston 15 years ago.Mr. Collins always loved working with cattle.  As a boy he took a calf to the Houston Fat Stock Show.  He did not win but earned enough money to invest in more cattle.  He taught Sunday School and Training Union Classes for 25 years. Mr. Collins was preceded in death by two sons Michael Collins and Lawrence R. Collins and a granddaughter  Sharon Nickel, three brothers John E. Collins, Charles Collins and an infant brother. Survivors include his wife Mary Collins of Temple; one son Russell Collins of Cleveland, Texas; one daughter Evelyn Killen of Temple; two brothers Turner Collins of Springfield, Missouri and Bee Jasper Collins of Waco; six grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.