Daniel T. Collins Eulogy written by Ed Katona

I want to say a few words about a man that I believe is one of the greatest men I have ever known or known of. No, he wasn’t perfect and he didn’t do everything right but as he always reminded us, he did his best the best way that he knew how. He was a flawed man but did his very best to overcome it.

He was kind, generous, smart, loving, compassionate; he was industrious, hardworking, loyal and he was brave. He was a laborer, an electrician, a mechanic, a carpenter, an engineer, a race car driver, a businessman and a problem solver. He was a teacher and a philosopher. He was a junk collector too! He was a peacemaker, a son, a brother, an uncle, (great-)grandfather, a father and a husband, he was absolutely committed to all of us. Family was his everything and we are his family.

This man has worked hard all of his life, leaving school at a young age to help his family. Working in the fields and a variety of other jobs. Fighting for his country in his beloved Navy. I loved hearing his stories about the Navy and his life when he was younger. He loved to tell his stories and I am sure we all loved hearing them, he shared his life with us. What an amazing life it was too. Imagine the changes he had seen. He lived before TV, indoor plumbing, jet airplanes. He listened to radio as the primary home entertainment medium. He saw TV then color TV and then men walking on the moon! When he was young not every home had a phone, now every man woman and child has one. He saw it all!

We heard about his friends, Gussy Haycoop, Ray Cooper, Pinky and the others. Reading the first superman comic book, first edition! His stock car races, Pequannock long ago, Frank Not-so-hotra , and the Hi-Ho club and on and on … His friends would often relate how much they cared for him and how much he had helped them. One related how Pop had the presence of mind during a shipboard fire to save a man’s life who was on fire. Without hesitation he put the man out while others ran to escape the blaze. Pop took him away from the fire and off of the boat. Certainly a selfless act.

He was the smartest man I have ever known; he could figure out anything. I often wonder what he could have done if he had the opportunities that we had? How much farther could he have gone? How much better could his life have been? I suspect that if you asked him that today he would tell us that he had the best life because he had the best family. No not because any of us are prizes ourselves, but because we were his family and he loved us. Given the time and money I have no doubt that he could build anything. Winnebago built a house on wheels, not to be outdone Pop built one too. A big old yellow school bus. It had all the modern conveniences too. He got most of them from the junk yard but we had them. And he took us, his family on vacation in that thing. We went to Florida; we might as well have gone to the moon. It was always an adventure. And he always did stuff to make it special for us. One Christmas he brought deer shit and spread it on the hood so Keith and Scott could see that Santa did come! Having a camper bus wasn’t good enough, he had to build a second floor! Yup, a double decker, beat that Winnebago! And we had fun as a family, that’s where we got the saying “If I’m a retard you’re a Martian!”

He always worked, always fixing things always doing something … he didn’t always finish them but he did his best! And as he worked, we worked with him. Even if it was only holding the flashlight under a truck, at 10:00 at night in December! And as he worked he would explain what he was doing and why, how he arrived at the solution and how he was going to fix it. When it didn’t work he would start over again. And he would explain all over again. The man had the patients of a saint. He also had determination and would never quit on anything. Cars, trucks, furnace, pump, you name it he fixed it. He had to, we couldn’t afford to buy new ones or pay the repair man. He worked two jobs for a lot of years. And never once did you hear him whine, gripe of complain.

As a philosopher we heard his wit and wisdom all the time, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” “you get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar,” and “If you have to eat shit, take big bites!” He always tried to calm the situation and bring people together. He always tried to make peace whenever he could, which was a foil to Mom’s reaction which was usually to knock the crap out of someone. “Now simmer down kiddo,” I remember him telling her.

I most remember his love of people, how he could bring people to him. Everyone loved him, respected him. As our friends met him he became their Pop too. Just look at the crowds he had in here last night. His kindness is unsurpassed. Always ready to help everybody. Even late at night on a cold snowy evening, people would get stuck in the snow and come to our house asking to use the phone to call a tow truck, he wouldn’t let them. We would all go out and dig them out of the snow and get them on their way. Some would offer to pay us but no, he never took anything, it was the right thing to do.

He taught us how to treat people, even if they didn’t treat us well. It wasn’t about them; it was about us. He taught us a lot of other things, to many to tell you about now. He taught us to overcome adversity, how to set a goal and complete it, how to be kind. Everything he taught us made us better people, better men and women today.

He was always there for us. Fixing our cars, building something, picking Danny up after he totaled another car. I think it was 17 in one year? He would drop everything any time one of us needed something. He loved us all!

And then came the grandchildren. He loved all of you. Everyone was different and each one was special to him. You all have your own stories with Pop … some were funny and some were downright scary! I know each of you loved spending time with him, we all did. I am so very grateful that my kids had him for a grandfather.

Pop was a care giver. He was always taking care of somebody else. I know how he took care of me. I have seen him taking care of almost everyone in this room. And for some reason Mom, he loved to take care of you. As special as I feel I was to him, you were the one he most wanted to take care of. Sometimes it may not have looked that way but I have no doubt of that, he was devoted to you.

Pop was selfless, his well-being, comfort or desire was always sacrificed for others. Everyone else always came before he did. I think that was the most difficult thing for him in the last couple of years. He didn’t like people helping him. I think he really felt bad when his family had to help him, he really thought he would be a burden. We know he wouldn’t be a burden. He gave so much during his life it was only right that others should do for him at the end of his life. He more than paid his dues or lifted his share.

Family, kindness, working hard, taking care of others was his life. He did most of it for his family, for you and for me.

In closing, I would like to relate an account of Pop’s last evening with us that Cindy shared with me. The account illustrates how he lived his life and what the important things in life are. The evening was not easy as many of them had come to be.

During the evening, being up several times, Pop was insistent that Cindy turn off the light even though it was very dark. The room was in darkness, there was no light coming into the room. Yet he saw the bright light. In a subsequent conversation Pop began speaking of the thing which was the most important thing in his life, his family. Pop took some time and mentioned all of us, the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids individually and a story about each one of us … individually. He mentioned each of us individually. I find that to be significant and comforting. It is comforting to know that I was part of what he was thinking at the end. He was thinking about each of us, ALL of us. We were all important to him. I would like to take that with me as we say goodbye today. It is significant because he told us what it was that he was hanging on to as he moved away. He loved us and as he parted he showed us what should be most important in our lives. Family.

They broke the mold when they made you Pop, we are all going to miss you.

Daniel T. Collins

Born December 13, 1924

Jersey City, NJ

Died March 4, 2016, age 92

Had 10 kids:

Daniel Collins - January 5, 1954

Steve Collins - May 13, 1955

Patty Collins - October 5, 1956

Glenn Collins - December 6, 1958

Ed Katona - December 22, 1955

Cindy Katona - June 23, 1959

Mark Katona - July 30, 1960

Frank Katona - November 5, 1961

Keith Collins - March 31, 1967

Scott Collins - January 7, 1969

Married Doris Gallagher on ....

Doris and Dan divorced ...

Dan and Betty married ...