Horace Bernard Collins

Horace Bernard “Barney" Collins went to Heaven on Saturday, January 19, 2025 from his beloved cabin in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Barney was born in Durham County in what was Watts Hospital on November 2nd, 1937. His is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard Collins and Elizabeth Collins Higgs and his sister, Betty June Moore.

Barney is a man of many hats. He was raised in a neighborhood in Carrboro, surrounded by Hardees and Williams. He attended school in Carrboro and Chapel Hill and received his GED in the Marines. Barney was a man of many hats, in that he had a business in Carrboro in the mid-1960s and early 70s called Barney's Animal Kingdom-pet shop; he ran a convenience store in Bynum; he worked in White's Optical and later earned an associate's degree teaching opticianry at Durham Tech. He retired after teaching there for 27 years, which included teaching inmates at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC. He worked with the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. He served as a deacon in Mt. Carmel Baptist Church and was an officer in the Bynum Ruritan Club for more than 30 years. He was a taxidermist, a pilot, brick mason, a carpenter, a mechanic, a professor, a hot dog vendor and a man of many more talents, his favorite was being a musician. He could play just about any instrument and he played mainly country gospel music with the mandolin being his primary instrument for many local church events.

He enjoyed eating breakfast with his "Geezer Buddies" on Thursday mornings at AI's Diner or Verlies in Pittsboro. He was a NASCAR nut and a diehard Tar Heel Basketball and Football fan.

He built a log home with his wife, Jackie, which took three years and four months to build-their happy place.

Upon retirement, he chose another career, a hot dog vendor, first as a push cart, then as a mobile food kitchen. He saved his earnings and bought a fixer upper house “Down East" in Sea Level, NC. So now we have two happy places with many new friends there.

His USMC life was primarily at Camp Lejeune, NC in the 1950s resulting in health issues including bladder cancer, Parkinsons, Pulmonary Lung Disease, Congestive Heart failure and a brain tumor. He fought hard and finally conceded that he'd much rather be with Jesus in Heaven.

So he chose to come home with Hospice to the cabin with his dog, Oscar Mayer, and cat, Precious and Jackie to say his good byes to family and friends, before asking Jesus to “Let me in to Heaven”. Some hard bumps yes, but for a Spirit Filled Christian man, his motto remained “Too blessed to be depressed. He liked to say “Every day's a holiday and every meal's a feast”.

Barney leaves behind his wife of 25 years, Jackie Riggsbee, his former wife and friend, Martha Collins and former wife and friend, Judy Collins and seven children: James “Jay" Collins, and wife Flo; Wendy Gay Watkins; Lee Collins and wife, Kim; Leonard Collins and wife, Maria; Lyle Collins and wife Yeu Li; Ashley Collins Cox; Britt Collins and wife, Erin; and three step children: Kim Kendrick and husband, Mike; Traci Carr and husband, Ross; Kenneth Riggsbee and wife, Carolyne. 19 grand-children, 9 great grand- children and 1 great great grand-son and 3 loving nieces and 1 nephew.

Barney's Celebration of Life will be at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, 2016 Mt Carmel Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025 with visitation at 1:00 and service at 2:00.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Mt Carmel Baptist Church, 2016 Mt Carmel Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 or Chatham County Animal Shelter, 725 County Landfill Rd, Pittsboro, NC 27312.