Gerald Michael Collins

Gerald Michael Collins, age 85, of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on September 10, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee..

Born on August 17, 1940, in Bristol, Pennsylvania, Gerald was the son of the late Joseph Collins and Margaret McKenna. He grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, and was a graduate of Monsignor Bonner High School, Class of 1958. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from St. Bonaventure University in 1962.

In 1963, Gerald entered the United States Air Force, training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and Officer Training School in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was commissioned as an officer and rose to the rank of Captain before his honorable discharge at McGuire Air Force Base in 1968.

After leaving the military he moved to California where he met his wife while working for the phone company before starting his career with the Los Angeles County Assessors Office. On May 29, 1971, Gerald married Colleen Kerr in Los Angeles, California. Together, they shared 54 years of marriage and raised two children in Huntington Beach, California, where they made their home for more than four decades.

Gerald will be remembered for his intelligence, quiet strength, and devotion to his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Kathleen. He is survived by his wife Colleen; daughter Michele Randall (Tyler), Hendersonville, Tennessee; son Michael Collins (Aggie), Tempe, Arizona; sister Nora Leibold (Art) and extended family and friends.

Private services will be held, with interment at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gerald’s memory to The Air Force Aid Society (Official Charity of the Air Force) https://afas.org.