William Bion Collings' Obituary
COLLINGS, WILLIAM BION of Richardson, passed away 11/17/2009. Mr. Collings was born December 9, 1926 in Rockville, Indiana, to Brooks T. and Mary Francis Collings. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister and two brothers, Louise Ryer, Paul Collings and Dick Collings. Following service in the U.S. Army during World War II, he graduated from Indiana University in 1949 with a BS degree in Business. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Upon graduation, he went to work for S.S. Kresge (now K-Mart) in Ohio and later for E.I. du Pont Company near his hometown. While in Rockville, he was active in Rotary Club, Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite and Shrine. He was a life-long Republican and served as Parke County Young Republican Chairman and as a precinct chairman in Rockville. In 1957, he joined Texas Instruments in Dallas and served in many material management positions, including lengthy overseas assignments in Singapore, Philippines, and Portugal. He was a Certified Purchasing Manager and authored many articles for several purchasing magazines. He retired from TI in 1989. Following retirement, Mr. Collings performed material management consulting work for TI and others in Singapore and Philippines as well as locally. He was active in volunteer work for the Network of Community Ministries and served as its Vice President for six years. He also served on the City of Richardson’s Sign Control Board for eleven years. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Richardson since 1958 and was an ordained Elder. Mr. Collings was for many years an avid duplicate bridge player and a square dancer with the Kissin’ Kuzzins. He loved to travel and had visited 67 countries throughout the world. He enjoyed Dixieland music and attended jazz festivals all over the country. Most of all, he loved his family and scheduled annual family vacations up until the year of this death. He is survived by his wife, Elinor (Lonnie), whom he met in college and married on June 16, 1948. Also surviving are three sons and their wives: John and Janie Collings of Richardson, TX; Douglas and Renata Collings of Rockwall, TX; and David and Nancy Collings of Tyler, TX; seven grandchildren: Brooke, Stephen, Sandra, Michael, Crystal, Casey and Brady; and six great-grandchildren: Nicholas, Nathan, John, Jameson, Katherine, and Clara. There are two great-grandchildren on the way; Kyra and Katelyn. A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Richardson at 3:00 pm, Thursday, November 19, 2009. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church in Richardson, 319 La Salle Dr., Richardson, TX 75081-6055, or to the Network of Community Ministries at 721 S. Sherman St., Richardson, TX 75081.
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