Funeral services for Dave Collins, 84, of Portales will be at 2:00 P.M., Thurs., Mar. 29, 2018 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Brad Mahan officiating, along with various family members. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Randy Collins, Roy Collins, Johnny Collins, Ivan Collins, Curtis Birdsong and Chance Birdsong serving as pallbearers. Nathan Collins, Dave Collins, Micah Birdsong and Bryanna Birdsong will be honorary pallbearers.
Dave Grey Collins was born Dec. 12, 1933 in Grady, NM to the home of Grace Clarine (Thomas) and Roy Collins, and died Sunday, Mar. 25, 2018 in Clovis, NM. Dave grew up north of Clovis in the Running Water Draw where he grew up living a cowboy’s life. He graduated from Clovis High School in 1952, and went on to attend Eastern New Mexico University. He interrupted his college studies to enlist in the Army in the summer of 1953, and served for two years. In 1955 he resumed his college career, and eventually completed both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Math.
On Aug. 3, 1954 in Ranchvale, NM he was married to Iva Collins. They made their home in Fort Worth for a number of years where he was first employed by General Dynamics as a computer programmer. After about five years, he and several others left the company to form Radiation Research and Associates. Dave performed very complex computations and computer simulations. The company did contract work for the labs in Los Alamos and Oakridge, as well as others. In 1982 he moved to Los Alamos to work exclusively for the labs there. Dave retired in 1995, and in 1996, he and his wife moved to Portales.
While living in Los Alamos he was active in the White Rock Baptist Church, and was later a charter member of Western Hills Baptist Church. After moving to Portales, he was an active member of the First Baptist Church. Dave served as a deacon in all three congregations.
When his sons were boys, he served as a Scout Master for their Boy Scout troop. Dave was a member of the American Nuclear Society, and while in Portales he became active with Habitat for Humanity.
He is survived by Iva, his wife of nearly 64 years of Clovis; two sons and daughters-in-law, Johnny and Rhonda Collins of Los Alamos, NM and Ivan and Pam Collins of Spring, TX; a daughter and son-in-law, Debora and Curtis Birdsong of Stanford, TX; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and a brother and sister-in-law, Pat and Elida Collins of Clovis, NM. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Clark Collins.
