Obituary of Timothy Adam Collins

On behalf of Tim's family and friends, I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to honor Tim and us by posting memories and messages to this guestbook. You have made us smile through our tears and helped us get to know Tim a little better. Thank you to all who joined us in person or in spirit to celebrate his life this past week. Your love, prayers, and support and your cards and gifts have made a dificult time bearable and memorable. Please keep in touch. Love, Pat pcollinsz@hotmail.com Thank you to everyone at McGuinness. You have a difficult and important misson and you complete it with warmth and excellence. Everyone loved the booklet! Pat and Charles Collins Timothy Collins SMT 152 ? Leadership in Sports and Society Dr. Stephen F. Gambescia Spring Term 2004 Obituary Assignment April 7, 2004 Often times in life, we are so preoccupied with preparing for the future we do not take time to appreciate the present. And while Timothy Collins would probably not like you using such a cliché to describe his life, he was truly someone who fully realized the beauty of the world around him at any given time. Tim spent his life trying to make others appreciate this as well, through his humor, kindness, and honesty. Timothy Collins was born at LaGuardia Hospital in Queens, New York, on December 21, 1977 to Charles and Patricia Collins. Shortly afterward, the family moved to South Jersey, where his parents and his two brothers still reside. Tim attended high school at Saint James in nearby Carney?s Point, where he served as school president in his senior year. He was also well known there for his creative takes on class assignments for English and Driver?s Education, among others. ?His English teacher still talks to me about his short story that he wrote junior year, and about the Julius Caesar video he made with his friend Jason,? recalls Tim?s mother, referring to a video Tim made senior year based on Shakespeare. ?I saw the video, and much of it was true to the play, except for Julius Caesar doing a Fred Sanford impression after he was attacked by Brutus!? As with many things in his life, Tim always strived to produce quality work, but certainly didn?t mind if he could make people laugh in the meantime. After graduating high school, Tim attended Drexel University to study business. While he appreciated all the things that growing up in South Jersey provided, it was clear to everyone that Tim preferred the city life. ?He seemed to really enjoy not having a car, and being around all different types of people,? said John Hines, a friend that met Tim while at Drexel. Tim also to advantage of Drexel co-op to work in New York City for six months, an experience that taught him independence and gave him the confidence to pursue a business career. After returning to Philadelphia from co-op, Tim had a variety of jobs, which did not come as a surprise to anyone who knew him. ?Tim always said that he felt that he could do any job, it was just a matter of deciding what he really loved to do,? said Jon Ingram, another of Tim?s friends from Drexel. Throughout his life, Tim was a paperboy, worked at a gas station, worked in the parts department of a car dealership despite knowing nothing about cars, a real estate agent, and finally a risk analyst for Ecount, a debit card company. While all this jumping around may have bothered some, Tim relished in the ability to always learn something new and be challenged. ?Tim came in here with no risk management experience,? says Kevin O?Nell, Tim?s boss at Ecount, ?In a short time, however, he was one of the most knowledgeable people in the company.? Tim?s life did not consist just of work, however. He was also a big fan of music and trivia, which made him an expert on music trivia. ?We went to Quizo one night,? says Brad Garfield, a co-worker of Tim?s, referring to a trivia game that is held at bars around the city ?The category was lead singer?s of bands, and you had to fill in ten answers. Tim wrote it out like it was his senior thesis. We are the first team to hand the sheet in, and the only team to get them all right. It was amazing.? Tim also enjoyed going to concerts at Philly hotspots, such as the Trocadero and the Khyber. He liked to use those opportunities not only to enjoy the music, but also to spend to with his older sister Christina and younger brother Matthew. ?Luckily, we all liked a lot of the same types of music,? says Christina, ?We would all keep each other posted of upcoming shows. Even if the concert was lousy, we all had a good time?. Having a good time is something that was always important to Tim. No matter what the situation was Tim was always there with a joke. Even in the most serious of circumstances, Tim believed it was always important to inject a little humor into the situation. ?Tim was never mean or inappropriate with his humor, though,? says friend Frank Lavin, ?He never cut people down or made light of bad situations. But if you were having a bad day, just sitting around and listening to T.C. make stupid comments while watching television would cheer you right up.? Tim leaves no wife or children, but a lot of people will miss him. Tim was not the most outgoing person, but he always made a genuine effort to get to know the people around him. ?He was a great person to double-date with,? says Hines, ?I always said that T.C. was somebody you could introduce to your girlfriend?s friends and he would never make a fool of himself. Unfortunately, that can?t be said about a lot of people.? Tim leaves is survived by his mother and father, as well as his four brothers and two sisters. Services will be held at Saint Michael?s church in Gibbstown, New Jersey, where Tim once served as an altar boy. The family asks that you make a donation in Tim?s name to your favorite charity or Drexel UniversityIn Memo: Timothy Collins Fund Attn: Pete Frisko, 3141 Chestnut St.m Main Bldg. #310, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Tributes and memories may be shared by clicking on the "sign guestbook" icon. McGuinness Funeral Home, ?The Lifetime Tribute Funeral Home?®