AJ Collins

AJ Collins was born June 17, 1922 and died peacefully at his home in Oregon City, Oregon on May 18, 2012, one month short of his 90th birthday and his 34th wedding anniversary. He is survived by his wife, Gayle, sons Chuck (Mary) and Bill, stepsons Randy, Dan (Rachel) and Kevin (Patty) Schmid, nine grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, and by his sister Helen Barnes. He was born in Dawson Springs, Kentucky but grew up in Hopkinsville where he played football and graduated from Hopkinsville High School.

After discharge from the Army, AJ returned to his hometown where he owned a motor court and drive-in restaurant and made frozen cokes locally famous. Following that venture he opened a cafeteria which was subsequently burned out, and with no insurance he then sought employment elsewhere, working as a grocery store manager in a Kentucky owned chain of stores.

Having been presented with a wide ranging opportunity in Joliet, Illinois, from 1957 to 1963 AJ served as executive director of four staffs in four different locations, each of which handled a specific, vital redevelopment program within the community including the Joliet Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Joliet Commission's 10 Point Program of Community Development, the Joliet Land Clearance Commission which was responsible for urban renewal, the Will County Public Building Commission tasked with building and financing city and county buildings, and the Relocation Commission for the State Highway Department of Illinois during the construction stage of a number of highways which included purchasing properties for the highway system and relocation of displaced residents. He also attended summer school at Michigan State University.

Having visited Phoenix for an extended stay in the 1940's, AJ jumped at the chance to apply for the executive directorship of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce where he served from 1963 to 1974. He lead a complete chamber of commerce program including industrial and airport development, practical politics courses, community and retail affairs and restoration of the Little Red Schoolhouse.

During that period of time he developed Scottsdale's tourism volume from $60,000,000 to $650,000,000 and created Arizona's first major travel agent familiarization program, known as Cactus Capers, that yearly hosted 500 travel agents from all over the world to see and sample what Arizona had to offer to the traveler. AJ participated in the creation

of Desert Sun Circle and Desert Sun and Surf, combining the efforts of Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Phoenix and Scottsdale in a cooperative effort to market the sun belt of the southwest to 24 of North America's major tourism metropolitan areas. He was a founding member of Mag's Hambun Bunch (Scottsdale's Shadow Government), and founder, president, card carrying member and proud pin wearer of the International Order of Horses' A___ (IOOHA) which he formed to honor those people who loved and supported Scottsdale. Over the years he worked with many dedicated people who served their communities, their families and their faith.

Following his tenure with the Scottsdale chamber, AJ was owner and president of Trip Tours, a bus tour operation, and Rhodes Travel Agency, but Flagstaff lured him back into chamber management in 1978. AJ was chairman of the first Governor's Tourism Symposium in 1974 and served again in that capacity in 1979 and 1980, as well as being president of the Arizona Intrastate Tourism Council.

Returning to Scottsdale, he was a financial consultant, community manager of Sun Lakes Homeowners Association, and president of his own real estate firm, then as general and business manager of an apartment community in Tucson. He officially retired to Scottsdale in 1992. In 2006 he and his wife moved to the Portland area where he remained until his death.

AJ was a unique and special man, having never met a stranger and with a larger than life personality. When asked recently what words of wisdom he would like to leave behind he replied "faith, hope and love". His faith journey began at the age of 12 when he went forward to profess his faith in Jesus Christ as his savior and continued to the end as he prayed daily for his wife and their sons. He courageously endured numerous medical challenges over the last two decades, never losing hope and never complaining as his abilities waned, and he was never shy about expressing his love for others.

A memorial service will be held at Oasis Community Church, 15014 N. 56th Street, Scottsdale, Arizona on Friday, June 1st at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the church."