Christopher M. Collins

Resided in Escanaba, MI
Died May 12, 2016

Escanaba, MI
Christopher Michael Collins, age 40, passed away on Thursday, May 12, 2016.

Chris was born May 6, 1976 in Escanaba, the son of Lynn and Kathleen (Sturdy) Collins. Chris had a love of adventure from a young age. He was constantly exploring in the woods, fishing in nearby lakes and rivers, and hiking through trails. One part of nature truly important to him was his animals. He grew up with dogs and was never without one or multiple in the house. Chris was greatly attached to each of them. Tropical fish, piranhas, an iguana, a ferret, birds, and rabbits too made their way under his care. His pets were just one of many inspirations to him.

As a 9-year-old, he strapped on his first pair of skis and never looked back. He raced competitively for the Marquette Mountain Racing Team once he reached high school. After graduating from Escanaba High School in 1994, Chris was lured to Frisco, Colorado, to fulfill a dream of skiing as a prospect for the USASA ski team. Although he had the passion for skiing, Chris discovered snowboarding in Frisco and naturally excelled. A fresh powder day with bluebird skies is what he desired. He was a thrill seeker in many areas of his life: skateboarding, mountain biking, white water kayaking, dirt bike racing, and stand-up paddle boarding. There was nothing outside Chris didn

15 Tributes for “Christopher M. Collins”

    I didn’t know Chris as well as some of my other class mates, but he was always willing to help someone. He was always a wealth of knowledge and didn’t mind taking some time to explain something or show one of us a better way to do a procedure. I was always jealous of the fact that he never had to study throughout nursing school. Chris was a great guy ans nurse and will be missed.

    Chris, I knew you since you were a little boy. You always had so much energy and zest for life! May you RIP….Taken too soon!

    I met Chris when he came to work at OSF. I felt I had a new friendafter the first day at work with him. He had an infectious warmth & positive outlook. I never saw him without a smile coming to my face. He was bright, quick and engaged with his patients. he was not only an excellent nurse, his patients knew he actually liked people & cared about them.

    On behalf of those of us who worked with Chris, his sister Heather and mom Kathy at Super One, you have our heart felt sympathy. May he rest in peace!

    I met Chris back in high school when I moved to Escanaba. We became good friends and I always felt like part of the family at his house. I remember doing all kinds of fun crazy stuff with him. Later in he would be the best man in my wedding and even though we ended up on opposite sides of the country we still occasionally got to run into each other. It’s a sad time for his family, friends and love ones that are left behind. He will truly be missed. Rest in peace brother. God bless

    I met Chris when he was a student in a course I was teaching at NMU. He was an engaged and truly interested student who was never afraid to speak his mind! Even in semesters when I didn’t have Chris in class, he would often stop by my office just to chat about our mutual love of mountain biking. I am so sad to hear that his life and career have been cut so short. I hear he was doing a great job as an ER nurse! My sympathy to all that knew and love him.

    Chris was one of the very 1st people to befriend me when I moved to Escanaba in 7th grade. Never seemed to have a bad word to say about anyone and was a friend to all.So sad to see him gone so young.

    Chris knew how to have fun and he wanted his friends to have as much fun as him. He motivated himself and others to get better at whatever they were doing. Chris was a fouled mouth smart ass, but he was also really smart. He studied hard and retained so much information to become a nurse. I’m very proud of my friend Chris. And I thank him for being my friend and making sure I was having as much fun as him, or at least I was trying. He’s hard to keep up with. I will miss you buddy, and I will remember jumping off the cliffs into the escanaba river, the Kipling rope swing, mountain biking, snowboarding, jet skiing and everything else.

    I had the privilege to work with Chris in the ED before my retirement a month ago. Such an amazing person and nurse. Always upbeat, excellent with his patients and always checking to see if his fellow colleages need help. My sincere sympathies to all who loved him.

    Chris was truly an exceptional person. I only knew him for a short period of time when he began working at the hospital but I knew immediately that I liked him. He had an infectious smile and was always looking out for his patients. I was pregnant when I first met him and he went out of his way to help me so I didn’t have to do a lot of heavy lifting. He was just truly one of a kind. My heart aches for his family and friends and I send many prayers to you all. He will never be forgotten. He may have only been a nurse for a short period of time but he leaves a lasting impact on many people.

    WOW!! How did this happen? I’m just learning that Chris passed away. I’m totally shocked. Chris set myself and my two buddies up with a great place to live in Frisco, CO. In 1998 and 1999. He had a lot of energy, loved the outdoors and loved those dogs for sure!! My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. I’m very sorry and sad to hear about this.
    Gary Warner
    Clarkston, MI

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