Donald Collins

Lyndonville, VT: Donald Fairbanks Collins, age 82 of East Street, passed unexpectedly at the St. Johnsbury Health & Rehab Center Thursday evening, February 6, 2020.

Don was born in Washington, DC on April 20, 1937. His parents, the late Dwight Marshall and Lucy (Fairbanks) Collins were native New Englanders who relocated to the DC area to raise their family. Don attended The Landon School, where his father taught for many years, and was graduated in 1955. After a brief experiment with Yale, he entered the U.S. Army and trained as a radio repairman. Following his Honorable Discharge, he worked as a technical project manager for defense contractors. He came to the area 40 years ago and settled into the Vermont life. At the beginning of the personal computer era, Don transferred his technical skills to repairing and installing computer systems throughout the Northeast Kingdom. He was a fixture at local computer stores and in later years he worked with the King family at Northeast Computers Systems in Lyndonville, retiring in 2015. His hobbies included backpacking & hiking, vacationing at the family summer home in Bridgton, Maine, sitting with a cup of tea, enjoying a piece of Cabot extra sharp cheddar, and listening to opera on VPR.

Don's family includes his sons: Matthew Collins and his partner Rebecca Wilson of Gainesville, FL; Erik Barnes and his wife Debra Candreva of Cambridge, MA; and grandson Dylan Barnes. Don is survived by his brother Dwight Collins III, sister-in-law Zipporah Weiss Collins, and sister Susan Collins, all of Berkeley, California; brother-in-law Van Foster of Reston, Virginia; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by two sisters: Cathleen Collins McKegney of Burlington, VT in 2018 and Cindy Collins Foster of Reston, VA in January 2020.

There will be no Calling Hours or services at this time.

Condolences may be shared with the family at www.saylesfh.com. Donations in his name can be made to Faith in Action at www.faithinactionvt.org and Vermont Public Radio at www.vpr.org.