Collins' friends and colleagues rallied behind him and his family as he fought the disease. Last April, members of the BC Carpentry Shop lent their time and talents to renovate the Collins' Quincy home so that it could accommodate the wheel chair and other medical equipment he needed. On Aug. 10, over 400 friends, neighbors and co-workers turned out for a benefit to raise money to help support the family.
Collins is survived by his wife, Margaret (Wright), and daughters Kathryn and Anna, who have been offered admission and a tuition-free education at BC.
He was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Dorchester.
Donations in memory of Chuck Collins may be made to ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease, 7 Lincoln St. Wakefield, MA 01880.
-Stephen Gawlik