Robert "Jack"

Jackson Collins

Robert Jackson "Jack" Collins of Boston, GA passed away on June 1, 2024 at Archbold Medical Center with his beloved wife, Daphne, at his side.

A service of remembrance for Mr. Collins will be held on Wednesday, June 5, at 11:00 AM in the Chapel of Whiddon-Shiver Funeral Home in Thomasville with visitation one hour before the service.  A long-time family friend, the Reverend Mike Everson, will officiate. Interment in the Boston Cemetery will follow the service.

Mr. Collins (Jack) was born in Pelham, GA on March 7, 1941 to Robert Green Collins and Lutie Bell Jones.  The senior Mr. Collins worked for the railroad and moved the family frequently, but by the time Jack was three years old, the family had settled in Boston, GA. He graduated from Boston High School in 1959.  It was there that he met his great love and life partner, Daphne Faircloth.  They were married on May 7, 1961 and recently celebrated their 63rd anniversary.

After high school, Mr. Collins joined the U.S. Army Reserve where he was trained as an Infantry Rifleman.  He received an honorable discharge on March 31, 1966.  As a young married man, he worked for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad for several years, was owner/manager of Western Auto in Thomasville and farmed on his family property in Boston.

In 1988, he was called into the ministry and was ordained by the Boston Baptist Church.  He earned both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Theology, graduating Summa Cum Laude.  One of his special fields of interest was Biblical Archeology.  He considered his and Daphne's trip to the Holy Land a high point in his Christian journey.

He served as Pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Monticello, FL for over 14 years and had a very successful ministry there.  He and Daphne considered serving Olive Baptist a God-given privilege.  In addition, he occasionally served as a substitute pastor for other churches. Health issues prompted his retirement from the ministry in 2007.

He was a voracious reader and never lost his love of studying and learning. He built an extensive personal library.  He was a student of military history with special interest in the Civil War, WWI and WWII, and was a charter member of the World War II Memorial Society.  With great curiosity and many interests, he was an eclectic collector.

Throughout his life he was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed shooting, hunting, fishing and reloading his own ammunition.  He especially enjoyed passing this love to his sons as he taught them to be responsible for and respectful of the natural world.  He was a licensed aircraft pilot, and in his younger years he derived great joy in carrying passengers for their first airplane ride.  He was a great storyteller and humorist.

In addition to his wife, Daphne, he is survived by a son, Robert J. Collins, Jr. (Patty) of Ellijay GA; grandchildren Jean Malyce Collins of Tallahassee, FL and Thomas Jackson Collins of Boston, GA; and a multitude of loving nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Walter Ronald Collins and John Edsel Collins, and a son, Thomas Jefferson Collins.

Memorial contributions may be made to the "Pray for Rhea" fund at Thomasville National Bank.