Memorial Trees
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nancy collins
October 01, 2024
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Betty , Carlisa Darrel and Jasmine
October 01, 2024
Memorial trees planted for:
Althea L. Collins
<p>Althea L. Collins died on September 29 at her home in Highland, New York, surrounded by loving family, after a brief illness. She was 71 years old.</p><p><br></p><p>Born Althea James on May 10, 1953 to Charles and Neva James (Campbell) in Hampton, Virginia, where her father was serving in the Air Force at Langley, Althea was known since infancy to all her family and friends as “Honey,” a nickname bestowed by the paternal grandmother for whom she was named. The eldest of four daughters, Honey spent a peripatetic childhood living all across New York State, from Hornell to Queens. While in Queens as a young teenager, her talents and energy as a student won her a coveted offer of admission to the famous Bronx High School of Science before the family moved back upstate. After having three children, Honey settled with them in the mid-Hudson valley where she married James Collins of Wappingers Falls. They made a home together in Highland where they lived together for the past four decades.</p><p><br></p><p>In a life devoted to the care of others, Honey spent most of her professional career as a certified nurse’s aide at the Hudson Valley Nursing Center in Highland. Here she quickly developed a reputation not only for her long hours and hard work but also for her deep empathy for the residents, with many of whom she developed strong personal bonds. These long-lasting connections were so important to her that, after spending years taking night classes for an RN degree (and getting straight As), she ultimately decided to remain a nurse’s aide, a role more devoted to the long-term care of people she came to know as individuals.</p><p><br></p><p>Honey was very private, as demonstrated by the fact that no professional colleague ever knew her as anything but “Althea.” She enjoyed spending time outdoors with close family, preferably in the sunshine near water, whether that meant the coast of Maine, the shore of North Lake in the Catskills, or the backyard pool. She loved strong coffee, warm soup, and watching romantic musicals with happy endings. While she had some strong tastes and set opinions, toward people she was always open-minded and accepting, seeing mostly our common humanity.</p><p><br></p><p>Honey is survived by her husband of 37 years, James Collins; by three children, Autumn Nicholas, Jesse James, and Amber James; by three sisters, Amy James-Oliveras, Julie James, and Laurie Scheuerman; by two sons-in-law, Brian Boshko and Paul Nicholas; by three grandchildren, Justin Maceda, Chelsea Maceda, and Stephen Boshko; and by five great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents.</p><p></p>September 29, 202409/29/2024
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