Richard "Rick" Howell Collins

Rick Collins of Marion, North Carolina and resident of Lady’s Island, South Carolina, passed away on Thursday, January 7th, 2021 of natural causes. 

Born the son of the late Richard Grayson Collins and Jennie Lois Gardner McCormick on July 15th, 1949, Rick grew up in his beloved mountain hometown of Marion, North Carolina.  He graduated from Glenwood High School, where he was affectionately known by many as “Flossy” Collins before setting out on his life adventures.

Rick began his career as a store manager for Roses Department Store, Greenwood, South Carolina.  He then spent the majority of his life in sales and management positions in the foodservice distribution industry which included PYA Monarch in Greenville, South Carolina, Sandler Foods in Roanoke, Virginia and Coastal Foods in Walterboro, South Carolina.  After a lifetime of the work he loved, Rick retired as Vice President of Professional Training for UniPro Foods, Atlanta, Georgia, where he traveled the United States training sales representatives and foodservice distributors managers. 

Rick was highly respected by the industry as an extremely gifted trainer and mentor.  His legacy is the success of the hundreds of men and women whom he influenced and inspired with his programs.  He will be remembered by his family and friends for his colorful stories. Rick was happiest when entertaining a group of friends with humorous accounts of his life experiences and the interesting people he met along the way. 

He was preceded in death by his son, Richard “Richie” Collins and his wife, Sheila Fitzgerald Collins. 

He is survived by one son, Jason Collins; one grandson, Kyler Collins; one brother, Randy Collins and his wife, Arla and their children and grandchildren.  Rick is also survived by beloved cousin Pam Cable and her husband, Dale; and endeared and devoted friend, Donna J. McCrea. 

A funeral service will be held on Friday, January 15th, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Beam Funeral Service in Marion, North Carolina.  Interment will follow at Chapel Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Marion.  The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., prior to the service, at the funeral home. 

In lieu of flowers, Rick requested that donations be made to Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort, 111 Bay Street, Suite B, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902 (http://afsgb.org/) in honor of his mother, Jennie Lois Gardner McCormick; and numerous family members who lost their lives to the disease. 

The family request that all necessary protocol, including masks and social distancing be upheld and respected.