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William Stuart Collins
William Stuart Collins, whose family described him as a deeply cherished and beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather and partner, died peacefully at home in Sag Harbor on December 20. He was 84.
He was born on April 17, 1939, to Samuel and Constance (nee Verlegh) Collins in New York City. He spent much of his childhood and teenage years living in Sands Point, where he attended Friends Academy. He then went on to attend C.W. Post, graduating in the class of 1961. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was actively serving or on reserve from 1961 to 1969.
It was during that time that he met his former wife, Barbara Duffy (nee Brankowitz), and moved to Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, where they raised their five children.
Dissatisfied with his job selling china for the Japanese company Sango, he purchased a heating and air conditioning company to operate in conjunction with a cushion business, Collins Cushions, he had inherited from his father. He successfully ran both businesses out of Moonachie, New Jersey, for decades until his eventual retirement in the late 1990s.
In 1986, while driving around the area, en route to a meeting for Collins Cushions, he fell in love with a home in Sag Harbor. For 10 years, that home became the family’s weekend getaway and his escape from the demands of running two businesses. Eventually, he moved there full-time and started practicing real estate, something that had always interested him.
He met his partner, Jean Irvine (nee Sephton), shortly after he became a licensed Realtor. They worked side by side and ultimately retired together in the early 2000s, splitting their time between Sag Harbor and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. While they loved traveling to the islands, playing golf, and entertaining their many friends, they were truly happiest sitting quietly together on the deck with the newspaper, content to watch the boats in the cove and the grandkids loudly coming and going to and from the beach.
He was predeceased by his son, Peter Collins. He is survived by his children, Christine Barbiere (Bob Livingston), Catherine Stout (Art), Bill Collins (Barbara), and Jennifer Boland (David); his sister Constance McCalester; 11 grandchildren, Tabitha, Megan, Brittany, Jack, Sean, Ryan, Matthew, Billy, Brooke, Shelby, and Gwen; and three great-grandchildren, Tommy, Connor and Eloise.
A celebration of his life was held on December 29 at the Sag Harbor Presbyterian (Old Whalers’) Church in Sag Harbor.
Staff Writer on Jan 5, 2024