Charles Allen Collins, of Collinsville, a retired educator and fishing enthusiast, passed away on November 1, 2024. He was 77. Mr. Collins taught history and social studies in Henry County schools for more than 20 years and was a coach and mentor to several generations of students. He was also active in bass fishing organizations in and around Henry County.
Charles was born February 22, 1947, in Stuart. His parents, Amon and Virginia Bryant Collins, came from families with deep roots in Patrick County. Charles completed elementary school in Stuart and graduated from Stuart High School in 1965. He was a standout athlete for the Stuart Wildcats – a high-scoring forward on the basketball team and a member of the baseball and track teams.
Charles entered Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1965, then transferred to Lynchburg College graduating in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He began his career as a public-school teacher at Hardin Reynold Memorial School in Critz in 1969. He later moved to the Henry County public school system. His first love was American history, but he taught a variety of social studies courses at several schools, including Drewry Mason, Figsboro, Carver and Laurel Park. He was active in his schools’ athletic programs, serving as an assistant coach for football and track and field. He also taught for two years in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system in North Carolina. As a teacher, Charles is remembered for his encyclopedic knowledge of American history and for working to instill critical thinking skills and self-confidence in his students
If teaching was his vocation, fishing was his avocation. Chuck, as he was known to his fishing buddies, fished from childhood, first in the few remaining trout streams in Patrick County and later as a competitive bass fisherman. He was active in several local bass fishing clubs, including Country Boys Bassmasters. He devoted more time to fishing after his retirement from teaching and was named “Mr. Bass” in 2001 by the Piedmont Bassmasters and in 2005 by the Danville Bassmasters.
Chuck married Mary Frances Quick Rafferty, also a public-school teacher, in 1998 and became the stepfather of her son Ben and daughter Carrie. An earlier marriage to Pamela Wilson ended in divorce.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Mary Frances, his stepdaughter Carried Rafferty of Collinsville and stepson Ben Rafferty (Nicole) of Greensboro, NC, his brother Ray Collins (Betty) of Amelia, VA and sister Betsy Collins Demiray of Saint Paul, MN, nephews Michael Collins (Hope), and Matthew Collins (Cher), niece Lee Collins Agnew (Tom), as well as step-grandchildren Kellen, Teddy and Natalia Rafferty and nine grand and great-grand nieces and nephews.
