Genealogy Data Page 265 (Notes Pages)

Mosley Caroline Ann [Female] b. MAY 1991 New York, NY

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Mosley Raymond Louis [Male] b. 21 JUL 1954 Alameda County, CA

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Pastrana Mercy Buenaventura [Female] b. 12 SEP 1962 Phillipines

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Collins Kaitlin Marie [Female] b. APR 1991

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Collins John Gregory [Male] b. 3 FEB 1955 Kalamazoo, MI - d. 27 FEB 2008 Portage, Kalamazoo, MI

Obituary:
John Gregory Collins was an outgoing and caring man who brought an aura of positivity and strength to each new day. He was a tremendous father and husband who cherished every moment he spent with his loved ones. Throughout his life, John was an organized and hard working man who could easily light up a conversation with his dry sense of humor.
John was born into an exciting decade in our nation�s history. For Robert and Marceil (Creamer) Collins of Kalamazoo, Michigan, these were especially exciting times for their family. On February 3, 1955, the couple received a double blessing with the birth of two healthy sons, John and David. John was a mere six minutes older than his twin brother, and made sure to make light of it while growing up. John and David were welcomed into the family by their older siblings, Pat and Mike.
John was a typical boy growing up � very adventurous and fearless, yet smart and witty. He attended Portage Public Schools, and graduated from Portage Northern High School in 1973. John attended Western Michigan University after high school, where he earned his BA in Finance and his MBA in International Finance. He began his career in finance at First Bank of America, but then went to work at Upjohn/Pharmacia Company in the International Finance Dept., just like his father. In fact, many of the people his father hired in now worked with John. Besides doing a job he loved, John also had the opportunity to travel to 40 different countries for his work, and experience other cultures.
Although John made his career out of finance, it was apparent that his most important job in life was taking care of his beloved wife and children. John dated his wife, Mary, in high school, but they went their separate ways. The two became reacquainted in 1988, and were happily married on October 26, 1990. John and Mary had two wonderful children together: Kaitlin and Matthew, though John was also a good father to Mary�s son, Christopher, from her first marriage. For John, there wasn�t anything more valuable or more rewarding than being a loving and devoted husband and father. He wanted nothing more than for his children to be happy, to be good individuals and to know that they were loved. The successes in their lives are a great testimony of his parenting!
John was a strong role model for his children, with his meticulous work ethic and great sense of humor. He was a huge Woody Allen fan. His choice in music, however, may not have been passed down to them. He loved music of all genres, though he especially enjoyed songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s.
In 1998, John�s job with Upjohn/Pharmacia was transferred to their New Jersey office, which led the family to move. Unfortunately, because of company cutbacks, he lost his job in 2003. Not wanting to uproot his children from school and their friends, John found other means to stay in the area. After John received the devastating news that he had ALS or Lou Gehrig�s disease, the family moved back to Portage in July 2007 to be near their family during these trying times. John died at home on Wednesday, February 27, 2008, at the age of 53.
Whatever John did, he did with zest and enthusiasm. He tried every day to share his happiness with his loves ones. His years of dedicated work afforded him both a happy place in life, and a family that loved him dearly. He will be deeply missed.
Members of John�s family include his wife, Mary (Farrand); his beloved children: Kaitlin and Matthew Collins; a stepson, Christopher Slocum; his twin brother, David (Jeanie) Collins of Kalamazoo; sister, Patricia (Len) Cooke of Ann Arbor; brother, Mike (Stephanie) Collins of Kalamazoo; and many loving nieces and nephews. Visit with John�s family and friends on Friday, February 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, 5975 Lovers Lane, Portage, where services will be held on Saturday, March 1, at 10 a.m. Please visit John�s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a favorite memory or photo with his family or sign his online guest book. Memorial contributions may be made to the R.M. & John Collins Endowed Nursing Scholarship at KVCC.
- Life Story Funeral Homes