Lena Collins - Obituary

eparted this life March 24, 2008, at Morningside House of St Charles, Maryland. Mrs. Collins was born July 18, 1905, in Knoxville, TN, a daughter of the Rev. William A. and Mary Witt Masterson. She and her sister, Clara, both attended Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN. In her senior year, she enrolled in a required physics course which happened to be taught by Professor Samuel C. Collins, who eventually became her husband. Sam was impressed with her high spirit, and declared her, "the most independent person he'd ever met." They were married September 4, 1929. Two years later, the couple moved to Cambridge, MA, where Dr. Collins was appointed to the staff of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1941 as World War II escalated, Dr. Collins took a leave of absence from MIT to assist the National Defense Research Council at Wright Field in Dayton, OH. There Mrs. Collins accepted a position as a mechanical draftsman with the Air Service Command at Patterson Field, using a skill she had developed as she made drawings for her husband's research projects in cryogenics at MIT. They returned to Cambridge in 1943. Throughtout their marriage, Mrs. Collins was a staunch and gracious supporter of her beloved husband's pursuits. Of special interest to her was her role as advisor to the Students' Wives Organization at MIT. One of the great pleasures experienced by Professor Collins' graduate students was the hospitality extended by both Sam and Lena when they hosted dinner parties in their home. These occasions were informal, warm and friendly. Visitors departing their home were often given a box of cookies Lena made from her mother's favorite recipes. Following Dr. Collins' retirement from MIT in 1971, he accepted a position with the Naval Research Laboratory and they moved to Fort Washington, Maryland. He died in 1984. Lena maintained her independent spirit throught her life. Her personal interests included cooking, gardening, stamp collecting, and contact bridge, in which she achieved the rank of life master. She attributed her longevity to a balanced diet. For her, that included a dish of ice cream each night after dinner. Although she came from modest beginnings, she placed great emphasis on helping others. In 1972, she established a scholarship fund at Carson-Newman College. She is survived by loving nieces and nephews; caring neighbors and many friends. Mrs. Collins was a member of Broadview Baptist Church. Friends may call at the GEORGE P. KALAS FUNERAL HOME, 6160 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill, Maryland on Saturday, April 5, 2008, from 12 noon until time of service at 1 p.m. with Dr. Howard W. Roberts officiating. Burial will be in Knoxville, TN. Donations may be made to the Collins Scholarship Fund of Carson-Newman College, CN Box 71993, Jefferson City, TN 37760 or to Broadview Baptist Church, PO Box 44, Temple Hills, MD 20757-0044.