Collins, Dorothy Gillon

Dorothy Gillon Collins, 88, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, after a short illness.

Born in Lynn, Mass., she was the daughter of John and Mary Evelyn (White) Gillon. She graduated from Ste. Chretienne Academy in Salem and went on to work with children at the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton (now the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children).

She married the love of her life, John E. Collins, in 1950 and spent the next 69 years raising six children and enjoying a family that grew to include 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is survived by five children: John (Mary Ellen) Collins of St. Petersburg, FL; Kathleen Collins of Clinton, CT; Marianne Watkins of Hull; Stephen (Itta) Collins of Pinellas Park, FL; and Brian (Kathleen) Collins of Northampton, PA. She is also survived by siblings Pauline Campbell of Palmetto, FL, Patsy Murray of Kingston, and Jack Russell of Franconia, NH. Dorothy’s husband, John, daughter Eileen Gant, and grandson Anthony Mariani preceded her in death.

Dorothy was a role model to four generations. She was no stranger to hard work and making do with little, and complaining was simply not part of her DNA. Her spirit of fun contributed to family adventures like taking six kids in a Volkswagen bus on a cross-country camping trip to Disneyland. A devoted mother, grandma, great grandma, aunt, and great aunt, she took pride in everyone’s achievements large and small, and provided support and no-nonsense advice when there were bumps in the road.

Dorothy loved children, was a voracious reader, an avid gardener, and a woman who loved to be on, in, or near the water. Her loss will be felt by the family and all of the friends and neighbors who were accustomed to seeing her planting, pruning, or enjoying her walk to Narragansett Beach in the early mornings.

There will be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made in her memory to the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, 3 Randolph St., Canton, MA 02021.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=38940

Posted by Canton Citizen on May 25 2018. Filed under Obituaries. Both comments and pings are currently closed.