Donald Steven Collins Jr.

Donald Steven Collins Jr., 82, of Seminole, Florida, peacefully passed away on December 23, 2025. He was born March 2, 1943, in New York City to Donald Steven Collins Sr. and Beatrice Collins (née Curry).

Donald earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the New York Institute of Technology. He proudly served his country in the United States Army as Military Police, including service with the 716th Military Police Battalion and the Ninth Infantry Division in Vietnam during the 1968 TET Offensive. After his military service, he went on to a distinguished 20-year career with the New York City Police Department.

Following his retirement from the NYPD, Donald opened and operated his own private detective agency for five years. He later relocated to Florida, where he served for eight years as Chief Fraud Investigator for the Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, applying his investigative expertise to protect consumers and corporate integrity.

Donald was a member of American Legion Post 273 in Madeira Beach and VFW Post 9272 in Seminole.

He shared a devoted 57-year marriage with his beloved wife, Catherine Collins, whom he considered the great love of his life. His proudest milestones were his marriage to Cathy and the births of their children.

In retirement, Donald became a prolific fiction author. He wrote 24 novels, including his acclaimed crime-fiction and serial-killer series. His works featured hard-boiled NYPD detectives such as Tom Newberry and Barry Noonan, characters inspired by his own career in law enforcement. Among his well-known titles were Murder on the Dunes, Old Watchdogs, and Diamond Dogs.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald Collins Sr. and Beatrice Collins; his grandparents, Michael and Beatrice Collins; and his sister, Alice Serge.

He is survived by his wife, Catherine Collins; his children, Michael Donald Collins, Sheila Ann Stavrevski, Kevin Patrick Collins, and Lana Marie Malizia; and his grandchildren, Maddison Collins, Ethan Collins, Olivia Collins, Matthew Collins, Summer Stavrevski, Skylar Stavrevski, Spencer Stavrevski, Sienna Stavrevski, Kandace Encarnacion, Morgan Malizia, Nicholas Malizia and Quintin Malizia; and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Garden Sanctuary Funeral Home, 7950 131st Street North, Seminole, Florida 33776. Interment will follow at Bay Pines National Cemetery.