Obituary of Frances Yolanda Collins

Frances Yolanda (Perry) Collins was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on August 16,1934, to Frank and Ruth Perry. She was an only child. Fran was very proud of her father’s Cape Verdean heritage. Fran attended Worcester public schools and graduated from North High School in 1954. She attended the Leland Powers School before matriculating to Boston University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in 1958. While attending college, she met the love of her life, Arthur Collins, at a Delta Sigma Theta/ Omega Psi Phi party. They tied the knot on May 31, 1959, and enjoyed 47 years of marriage together. When they had their three children, who Fran loved and nurtured, she left her career for ten years to raise them. Her oldest, Tracy, is a physician, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her middle, Arthur III, is a video engineer. The youngest, Chris, is a media personality and financial advisor. In the early 1970s, Fran pursued her passion for teaching at the Lynn Head Start program. There, became a truly beloved and respected teacher who positively impacted the lives of hundreds of children. She also worked for Action for Boston Community Development. She completed a Master’s in Education at Boston’s Wheelock College, then went on to teach aspiring early childhood education teachers for a number of years. In the 1980s, she served on the board of the North Shore Children's Hospital as well as other committees, always focused on health and wellbeing of children. Fran was the director of the Cambridge Head Start program in the late 1980s, until her retirement in 2000. Fran was a dedicated parent who was well-known to the Peabody Public School system. At a time when there were few black students in Peabody schools, Fran, along with other black parents, made it their business to see that their children got the attention and education they deserved. Ever the diplomat, she always made her point in the most articulate and respectful way and she was highly-regarded by everyone she met. Fran was truly a citizen of the world. Her interests included travel, the arts, sports, and exploring her heritage and other cultures. Fran had traveled to more than 30 countries over the course of her life. One of her most memorable trips was in 1999, with her daughter Tracy and son Chris, to the place of her father's birth, the Cape Verde Islands. She would often speak of her experiences there. Fran was a dedicated Boston sports fan. She attended the NBA Finals in 2008, frequently attended Red Sox games and recently went to the Patriots’ game in Cincinnati with her "very special family". She could talk Boston sports with the best. Fran passed away on February 26, 2020. She leaves her three children Tracy, Arthur, III and Chris to mourn her passing, celebrate her life, and keep her memory alive, as well as her son-in-law, Darryl; grandchildren, Caleb, Danielle, Savannah, and Olivia; sister-in-law, Mary Jane Jones; nieces, nephew, cousins, and many, many dear friends. She now joins her loving husband, Arthur Jr. in heaven for eternity, following a life well-lived. Visiting hours will be held on Saturday from 9:00 until 11:00 AM followed by her Funeral Service at 11:00 AM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St, Peabody to which relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Burial will be in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Lake St, Peabody. Expressions of sympathy can be made in her name to either the Kaplan Family Hospice House, 78 Liberty St, Danvers, MA 01923 or the Bernie Mac Sarcoidosis, https://hospital.uillinois.edu/primary-and-specialty-care/rheumatology/sarcoidosis. For directions and on-line obituary visit www.ccbfuneral.com