Robert L "Bob" Collins Md

Robert L. "Bob" Collins, MD, 67, of Plattsburgh, NY passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, March 11th, 2015 at the UVM Health Network CVPH Medical Center. He was born in Albany, NY on January 13th, 1948, the son of Leo R. Collins, MD and Irene (Laurenzo) Collins. Bob graduated from Vincentian Institute in Albany, and continued on to earn his undergraduate degree from Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA, and an MD from Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, MO. He completed his residency at Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston, and did his pulmonary fellowship at Boston University. He and his wife Elli then moved to Plattsburgh in 1977 where he became the town's first pulmonary specialist. While his first priority was to his family, he and his wife became very committed to CVPH. Aside from numerous other professional activities, he proudly chaired the Ethics and Special Care Committees, and was ultimately convinced to become the first physician Chairman of the Board. He was highly respected at CVPH and throughout the community, revered for his dry sense of humor, compassion, "tech-savvy-ness" and dedication to his patients and co-workers. He also enjoyed sharing his medical expertise as a Board Member of the Grenfell Association of America. When he was not working, he was often on a computer forwarding jokes or the latest medical updates to colleagues and friends. He was a gifted musician and an active member of his Church. In the summer, each free minute was spent enjoying the boat on Lake Champlain with his family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Elli (Schmidt) Collins, of Plattsburgh; a son, Timothy Collins of Germany; a daughter Jennifer Muhlenberg and her husband Henry of Virginia, their three expected sons (his first grandchildren of which he was so proud); two sisters, Patricia Ruane and her husband Michael of Shandaken, NY, and Marguerite Collins, MD and her husband Nadir Rashid of Shandaken, NY; his in-laws, Rudolph M. Schmidt, MD and his wife Helen of Plattsburgh; two sisters-in-law, Klara Weis of St. Louis, MO, and Peg Schmidt and her partner Wilma Palombo of Pittsburgh, PA; five nephews, Matthew (Devon) Ruane of California, Gabriel (Karen) Ruane of Oregon, Alexander (Abigail) Ruane of New York, Matthew (Ellen) Weis of Missouri and Christopher Schmidt of Pennsylvania, as well as a large extended family. Calling hours will be on Tuesday, March 17th, from 2 to 6 pm at St. John's Church, 18 Broad St., Plattsburgh, NY. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 18th at 11 am at St. John's Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his honor to either the "Dr. Robert L. Collins Memorial Fund" through the CVPH Foundation or "St. John's Church". Online condolences and memorial candles may be offered at www.brownfuneralhomeinc.com.