Colonel (Ret.) Gerald Jay Collins, Sr. (Gerry) passed away peacefully at his home in Petersboro, Utah on 20 June 2018 from causes due to Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 85. Gerry was preceded in death by his sisters Betty Jean Collins Halverson and Colleen Collins Eaton; and his granddaughters Jessica and Jennifer Collins. Gerry was born in Shelley, Idaho 4 June 1933 to Triece Elmer and Vondella Kelsey Collins. He has three sisters, Betty Jean (Gabby) Halverson, Colleen (Melvin) Eaton,… Read More » Sheila Collins, and a half-brother brother, Tracy (Iola) Combs. He married Fauntilla Arvilla Fosbinder (Faun) 8 Oct 1960. Their children are Kimberly Kay Collins Zike (Kim), widow of Leslie Duane Zike (Clearfield); Gerald Jay Collins (Gerry), married to Carolyn Collins (Mendon); Jodi Collins Nance, married to Matthew Lynn Nance (Matt) (Syracuse) ; Suzanne Collins Nichols, married to Robert Douglas Nichols (Bob) (Eagle, ID); Theodore Basil Collins (Ted), married to Yumi Hasegawa Collins (Richmond); Candice Collins Zackrison (Candi), married to Michael Alan Zackrison (Mike) (Draper); and John Triece Collins (Petersboro). He has 27 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Kim and Les have six children and nine grandchildren: Joseph Leroy Zike, married to Dafina Veselaj Zike—son JJ; Shelby Aurora Zike Baird, married to Aaron Dean Baird: sons Tyler, Carter, Cameron and daughter Layla; Tiffany Camille Zike; Benjamin Gerald Zike, married to Jessica Jane Ulrich Zike—sons Arthur and Peter; Annelise Marie Zike Robertson, married to Tyler Jay Robertson: daughter Sophia and son Joel; and Briana Rebecca Zike Farr, married to Matthew Jennings Farr. Gerry and Carolyn have six children and six grandchildren: Jessica Ann Collins; Jennifer Lynn Collins; Taryn Bradley Collins, married to Kylee Sturdevant Collins: daughters Isabel and Grace, and son Lincoln; Corey Scott Collins married to Shauntai Burrell Collins: daughter Hadley and sons Nixon and Jackson; Sean Taylor Collins; and Madison Collins. Jodi and Matt have five children and two grandchildren: Amanda Lynn Nance; Lacey Jay Nance—son Slater; Shauntelle Elizabeth Nance Edgington: two sons—Gage and Drake; Matthew Collins Nance; and Cade Lindon Nance. Suzanne and Bob have four sons and one grandchild: Shane Robert Nichols; Scott Jay Nichols, married to Karina Mae Guzman Nichols: one son—Clark; Maxwell Page Nichols (serving an LDS mission in Nagoya, Japan); and Luke Douglas Nichols. Ted and Yumi have four children: Ellenor Faun Collins; Kaisho Osamu Collins; Walter Riley Toshi Collins; and Oliver Masao Theodore Collins. Candi and Mike have two children: Hanna Naomi Zackrison Henson, married to Brennen Daniel Henson; and Heidi Elizabeth Zackrison. Gerry’s dad was a ranch hand and Gerry grew up as a farm boy who loved pranks and sports. He loved roaming through the fields and foothills. He graduated from Shelley High School where he lettered in baseball, track, football, and boxing. The Korean Conflict prompted him to enlist in the Air Force in 1953. His good performance and test scores allowed him to be accepted into the cadet program and he became an officer. He served as a navigator at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, which was considered an overseas assignment, because it wasn’t a state yet. He transferred to Travis AFB, California, where he applied to become a pilot, and had his pilot training in Moore AFB, Texas. His next assignment was as a flight instructor at Vance AFB, Oklahoma. It was during this time he met and married his eternal companion, Faun. Gerry and Faun had four children, Kim, Gerry, Jr., Jodi, and Suzanne while at Vance. The family was stationed there for five years before spending three months at Sumter AFB, North Carolina for Gerry to receive some upgrade training on the RF-101. In October 1965 they moved to Ramstein AFB, Germany where Gerry flew reconnaissance in the RF-101. In April 1966, he returned to Sumter AFB, for three months to train in the RF-4 while the family remained in Germany. While stationed at Ramstein, Gerry and Faun added Ted to the family, after which they were sealed in the Swiss Temple in July 1967. Candi was born the following March. After three years at Ramstein, Gerry received an assignment to serve in Vietnam, and the family moved to Shelley, Idaho and lived next to Faun’s father while Gerry was away. He flew 133 combat missions in Vietnam in an F-4 Phantom. When Gerry returned from Vietnam, the family moved to Langley AFB, Virginia in November 1969. John joined the family a year later. In 1971 Gerry was selected to attend the Naval War College in Rhode Island. He was a student for one year, and then an instructor for two more years. The next assignment was the information officer at Hill AFB, Utah for one year, then Clark AB in the Philippines for nine months as the chief of Public Affairs for the 13th Air Force. The family arrived at Yokota AFB, Japan on the day of the U.S. bicentennial celebration, and Gerry also became the branch president of the Yokota LDS Branch. The next assignment was the Chief of Public Affairs for the Air Logistics Command headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. His final assignment was as the Inspector General for Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah. He retired from the Air Force on 16 November 1984. After retirement Gerry and his family lived in Kaysville. He and Faun served an LDS mission in Fukuoka, Japan for 18 months. Upon the completion of their mission, they built a house in Petersboro, Utah. He was an ordinance worker in the Logan, Utah Temple for ten years.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Gerald Jay Collins Sr 2018. Nyman Funeral Home
Death notice for the town of: Providence, state: Utah