Ronald Walter Collins, Sr.

Ronald Walter Collins, Sr. – Salem, NH

Ronald Walter Collins, Sr. of Salem, NH passed away of natural causes on June 13th at the age of 82. Ron was born in Methuen, Massachusetts on November 27th, 1942, the son of Janetta Westwell and Russell Collins.

As a child, Ron began to develop his noteworthy work ethic on the family farm. As a teenager in the summer of 1957, he met June A. Bedard at Skateland in Haverhill, Massachusetts during a church outing. They soon became inseparable and married just a few years later. Not long after, Ron enlisted in the US Army in November 1961 and achieved the rank of Sargeant over the course of his 3 years in Berlin, Germany before receiving an honorable discharge in November 1964. He often spoke of how proud he was to serve his country. Upon return to the U.S., Ron quickly found work as a draftsman where he found great success in laying out printed circuit boards for the electronics industry. He and June soon after had two sons, Ron Jr. and Robert Collins. He spent most of the second half of his career working for Analogic Corporation, in Peabody, Massachusetts where he learned computer programming to support his PCB layout skills.

While Ron first found his love for fishing as a child on the farm, he continued to hone his skill as an avid fisherman as an adult. Notably, he shared this interest with his sons.  He and his sons were able to make many memories together by going out for day-long fishing trips. His love for fishing inevitably led to a series of different fishing boats for the family, which eventually allowed for deep sea fishing, which became a family affair for many years. This was one of his most passionate joys in life.

While on land, Ron was a very involved father who was active in his sons’ lives. Whether it was the yearly custom birthday cakes, the front yard clubhouse, or the sledding hill, Ron was always going the extra mile for his sons. Other activities like karate lessons and hockey games added to the adventure. For example, his younger son asked on Christmas Eve for a Santa suit for his G.I. Joe action figure. Thanks to the sewing skills he developed in the army by sewing patches for some extra money, he made his son’s wish come true overnight.

Ron was predeceased by his wife, June in 2020. However, he is survived by his two children Ron W. Collins Jr. and Robert A. Collins. He is also survived by his 3 grandchildren Ronnie and wife Chrissy, Breanne, and Andrew, as well as June and Ron’s close friend, Barbara Sharpe. He will be dearly missed by those who know him, and we hope that he may rest in well-earned peace.

Funeral services will take place later this summer. Please visit www.goundreydewhirstfuneral.com to sign the online guest book.

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