BOMBER MEMORIAL

PATRICIA ANN "PATTIE" NEWELL COLLINS ~ Class of 1966 Honorary
May 26, 1948 - February 24, 2025



Patricia “Pattie” Collins passed away from heart surgery complications on February 24, 2025, finally reuniting in Heaven with her beloved husband, Thomas, and her son, Scott. She missed them both 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 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, Carmichael Junior High School and Richland's Columbia High School with the Class of 1966. She then attended Holy Names Academy in Spokane, an all-girls Catholic school, 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 12, 2025, at 10:00am followed by a reception at the church.

Express your thoughts and memories in the online Guest Book.

Einan's at Sunset Gardens in Richland is handling the arrangements.

Bomber Memorial put together by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).