Kev passed away October 31st at 6:45 a.m. at his home, surrounded by his family, under the care of Providence Hospice. Kev was born September 25, 1927 in Portland, the son of Vincent and Catherine O’Brien Collins. He is survived by his wife Joan; sons Michael, Timothy, Thaddeus, Kieran; daughter Shaun Konradson, all of Portland; sons Maj. Matthew, USMC of Okinawa, Japan and Lt. Com. Peter of USN San Diego; daughters Maureen of Atlanta and Molly Hape of Orlando, Florida; brothers Richard of Charboneau and Joseph of Palm Springs. Also surviving are 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Kev attended local schools, receiving his bachelors and masters degree in education from the University of Portland, where he served as student body president.

He served in the United State Navy aboard the destroyer USS Witik toward the end of WWII. He married Carla Pakenham of Tacoma, Washington on 1 October 1949, and was with her on their honeymoon on 6 October 1949 when she passsed away from injuries sustained in a car accident. In 1951, Mr. Collins met his future wife, a nurse from Wisconsin named Joan Bartosic. They were married 12 July 1952 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Portland, Oregon.

His professional career included several years in education (ten years on the faculty at Jefferson High School and administrative positions at the University of Oregon and the University of Portland in the mid and late 1960’s), sales work for White Rock, General Electric and American LaFrance, and a number of years in Civil Rights, principally for the Federal Government in Portland and the Northwest. In 1965-66 he directed the War on Poverty’s prototype program of Upward Bound at the U of O and served as a consultant in Washington, D.C. and on some 50 campuses in the U.S. for the Office of Education. He also served as the Director of the Social Action Commission for the Archdiocese of Portland. He retired from his work as an Equal Employment Opportunity Officer at the Department of U.S. Fish and Wildlife in 1984.

Among many board memberships and presidencies of organizations, he served as: a director of IMAGE, Inc. (National Hispanic Government Employees Associaion – its first Anglo boardmember); co-founder and board member of N.A.R.A – Indian Alcoholic Centers; member of the Urban League of Portland; member of Chicano-Indian Study Center of Oregon (CISCO); and a member of the Natinal Board of Directors of the U.S. Catholic Conference’s Campaign for Human Development. In 1976 Collins was honored at the Pentagon by the U.S. Army for his outstanding contributions to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) while serving as an EEO Officer for the Portland District of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Colins was a member of Holy Redeemer and St. Andrew’s Catholic Churches in Portland, and lived most of his active life in Northeast Portland.

Private interment will be at Rose City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Blanchet House of Hospitality, 340 NW Glisan, Portland, Oregon 97209 or Loaves and Fishes 7710 SW 31st Avenue, Portland 97219, both of which he was a co-founder.

Riverview Abbey Funeral Home, Directors