William Joseph Collins, 62

“I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live…” John 11:25

William Joseph “Grandpa Will” Collins, 62, passed away in Kalispell on Nov. 16, 2018.

Will was born on January 31, 1956 in Buffalo, Wyoming to William “Bud” and Virginia “Ginnie” Collins. He spent most of his life in Idaho and Montana, running hounds, hunting, camping, fishing, hiking the wilderness, gardening, and providing for his family. He worked in construction, logging, and heavy equipment, even owning a restaurant and his own taxidermy business.

He was kind and generous, a loving brother to all who knew him. A beloved son of the most high God, and an icon of what it meant to be a good, honest, hard-working man. He was always eager to give to those in need, and refused help to no one who asked. He always had an open-back-door policy and loved to say, “If you ever need anything, the back door is always open”. He was a good man. He loved, and he was loved. He cherished, and he was cherished. He forgave and forgot. And he will never be forgotten.

Will was preceded in death by his parents, Bud and Ginnie Collins, and his sister, Virginia.

He is survived by his sons Hunter Collins of Sierra Madre, California (mother Leslie Whitmore); Tanner Collins of Kalispell and John Collins of Missoula (mother Carol Collins); his brother, Tom (Terry) Collins of Plains; sisters, Kathleen Ann (Rick) Hermes of Sun City, Arizona; Glenna Lou (Don) Nelson of Free Soil, Michigan; Tamara (Paul) Neils of Twin Falls, Idaho; Connie (Dan) Davis of Glendale, Arizona, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Special thanks to Greater Flathead Renal, Big Sky Family Medicine, Rocky Mountain Heart and Lung, The Imaging Center, Kalispell Regional Healthcare, and Hospice.

A special thank you to Barbara Stevens for taking such selfless, amazing care of him in his final years.

A celebration of life will be held in the summer. Buffalo Hills Funeral Home is caring for the family.