Viola Marie Collins-Brown

Serving, Learning, Loving: A Life of Well-Lived for the Lord

Viola Marie Collins-Brown will be fondly remembered as a dedicated, hard-working, and inspiring advocate for her community. Affectionately known as Ms. Vi or Mama Vi, she was born on October 18, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised in the Cabrini Green neighborhood and began her community involvement as a three-year-old singing at Union Baptist Church. She joined the youth choir and later became its director. As a teen she worked on Jesse White’s first campaign for state representative. Viola also helped design and worked with the IntelliGents Big Brother-Big Sister Program in Cabrini Green which included tutoring, mentoring and field trips. From 1979 to 1981 while working on one of her master’s degree at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), she volunteered as a counselor for adults and teens. Viola had four decades of classroom teaching under her belt at multiple grade levels and also earned an MBA from Roosevelt University.

Throughout her life, Viola contributed her many talents to church administration, Diakonia, and above all, youth ministry. The Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) awarded her the Sunergos (Greek for "co-laborer" or "working together") Award for her youth ministry work in 2022. When she wasn't in Immanuel Lutheran Chicago's pews cheering on her son Jordan in the pulpit, she was active in Edgewater Congregations Together (ECT) Youth as an adult leader and mentor.

Ms. Vi also served at Holy Family Lutheran Church as a vocal coach, assistant choir director, and director of career development and youth programs. Having a heart for children and youth, she designed a holistic approach which helped young people feel good about themselves, develop oratory skills, succeed in school and to give back. Mama Vi constantly looked for opportunities for her kids to connect with the wider community and Body of Christ.

Even as she battled cancer for many years, enduring countless sessions of chemotherapy and radiation, she pursued her goal of ensuring that the community’s youth had tools for success and that everyone she encountered knew the love of the Lord. Her zest for life and deep faith were apparent to all. It will probably not be a surprise to anyone who knew her to learn that she spent a recent birthday indoor skydiving.

Ms. Vi’s legacy and memory are treasured by her sons, Jermal Collins (Karen) and Jordan Collins-Brown, as well as the many friends, family members, mentees, and fellow believers who love and miss her dearly.

A memorial service will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church at 1500 W Elmdale Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, on December 13, 2025 at 11AM.