Patricia “Pattie” Collins passed away on February 24, 2025, finally reuniting with her beloved
husband, Thomas, and son, Scott, in heaven—whom she missed dearly. Pattie was surrounded
by her loved ones in her final days, and even at the end, her remarkable personality and sense
of humor shone through, continuing to bring joy to those around her.
Pattie was born in Denver, Colorado, on May 26, 1948, to Mack and Agnes Newell. She was
the baby of the family, with three older sisters—Louise, Joan, and Maxine. The family eventually
moved to Richland, WA, so her father could work as one of the first-ever nuclear operators,
running the B Reactor at the Hanford site.
Pattie attended Christ the King school in her early years and attended an all-girls Catholic
school, Holy Names Academy, in Spokane, WA, where she graduated alongside her lifelong
friend, Moe Dougan. For a brief time, she even considered becoming a nun, but her free-spirited
nature pulled her in other directions. It was these very qualities that led her to meet the love of
her life, Thomas Collins. Their first meeting wasn’t quite love at first sight—Tom jokingly tossed
Pattie into the Columbia River at a party down at Bateman’s Island. But the Collins charm won
her over, and the two were married in 1968. Later that year, they welcomed their son, Scott,
followed by two daughters, Kristin and Kim. Together, they formed a beautiful family, and Pattie
shared a deep, lifelong bond with her children.
Pattie worked for the Department of Health Services for 30 years, dedicating her career to
helping people in her community. Through the years, she made many dear friends, drawn to her
lively spirit and love for fun. On any given weekend, you could find Pattie out singing karaoke
with friends or enjoying her annual girls’ weekend camping trip at Potholes Resort in Othello,
WA. Also known for her artistic side, Pattie loved ceramics and spent many hours at Pasco
Ceramics where she made life-long friends. Most recently, she was painting gnomes, and if you
were lucky enough, she might have gifted you one.
As her children grew, Pattie’s greatest joy came from being a grandmother. She was the most
loving and devoted grandmother to all eight of her grandchildren Tyler, Katie, Tanner, Javier,
Theron, Bella, Kiley and Ian. She had a special bond with each of them.
Please join us to celebrate Pattie’s life at Christ the King Catholic Church in Richland, on April
12th at 10:00am followed by a reception at the church.