William Collins, May 01, 1954 — November 28, 2018

William (Bill) Edward Collins of Watertown, Massachusetts passed away at the age of 64 unexpectedly at his home on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 (for those of you who know him – in front of his computer of course). Bill was born in Schenectady, NY on May 1, 1954 to the late James Richard Collins and Dorothea E. O’Connor Collins. Bill graduated from Bishop Gibbons High School and received an AAS in Electronics Engineering Technology.

He worked at Honeywell in Arizona and Boston. He also worked in a military contractor role for General Electric and Raytheon in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska (he earned the nickname “Tundra Bill”), and Diyarbakir, Turkey. He was also stationed on Navy intelligence ships in the Pacific and was involved in our monitoring of the Soviet downing of the South Korean commercial airliner over the Kamchatka Peninsula in 1983.

Bill finally settled down in the place he always loved – Boston, Massachusetts. He worked for 27 years at Harvard University as an Electronics Technician IV in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the Magnetic Resonance Department with Dr. Shaw Huang. Bill was a huge Patriots and Red Sox fan.

He was also an engaged member of the Harvard Radio Club, W1AF, and W1PL was his calling card. When he found this radio club he said: “I will never be bored again”. He recently connected with the Commander of the International Space Station, and exchanged cards.

He proudly walked his niece Rachelle Barrot down the aisle at her wedding in Montreal in January. Brother of Patricia Collins Barrot of Schenectady, NY and James Richard Collins Jr. of Stamford, CT. Bill also leaves his adoring niece and nephew, Rachelle Barrot (Philip Palmer) and Mathieu Barrot of Montreal, Quebec, his best friend Brandy Pritchard and his family and his Collins and O’Connor cousins.

Family and friends will celebrate Bill’s life by gathering for visiting hours in The Nardone Funeral Home, 373 Main St., WATERTOWN, on Friday November 30, 2018 from 4 – 7 PM. A funeral home service will be held at 6:30. All may gather on Saturday December 1, 2018 at 11 AM in the Holy Redeemer Cemetery in Schenectady, NY.

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