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William Collison
Posted 1/15/07
William 'Billy Ray' Collison, 68 HARRINGTON - William "Billy Ray" Collison of Harrington died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, in his home with his loving family by his side. He was 68. Mr. Collison was born …
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William Collison
Posted
William 'Billy Ray' Collison, 68
HARRINGTON - William "Billy Ray" Collison of Harrington died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, in his home with his loving family by his side. He was 68.
Mr. Collison was born in Milford, son of the late H. Ray and Virginia Lee Collision.
He served his country proudly in the U.S. Navy.
Mr. Collison worked as a dairy farmer for most of his life, and most recently worked at Beracah Homes as an escort driver. At one time, he also drove a milk truck.
He had a second passion next to his family: Belgium horses. He raised many horses over the years and was involved in carriage driving and horse pulls. He enjoyed going to horse sales and building his own carriages. He had a talent for being a jack of all trades but he did well with carpentry and wood working. He built his own home and barns and did it all from the framing and construction to the brick work and concrete. He was especially good with the construction of carriages. He would buy the drive train and then build the carriage. He even built an authentic stagecoach.
Mr. Collison was a simple man with simple tastes. He was an old-fashioned man who believed in working with his hands and doing an honest day's work. He loved to help people and he loved to help his Amish brethren. He enjoyed helping them shred their corn and filling their silos. He always wanted to be a cowboy and could see himself living that way of life. He was good with a lasso and surprised a few people over the years with his roping. He loved life, to laugh and be a practical jokester. He will be remembered as emotionally strong, the solid rock of his family, but showed a softer side with his family, especially around his grandchildren who melted his heart.
He is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Joann Collison; a son, Todd Collision of Harrington; five daughters, Holly Jackson of Milford, Pam Naples of Maine, Debbie Perreault of Danielson, Conn., Billie Jo Chaffinch of Marathon, N.Y., and Virginia Thornton of Henderson, Md.; two brothers, Ronnie Collison and Wayne Collision, both of Harrington; a sister, Janet Hayman of Denton, Md.; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Melvin Funeral Home, 15522 South DuPont Hwy., Harrington.
Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home
Burial will be in Denton Cemetery.
HARRINGTON - William "Billy Ray" Collison of Harrington died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, in his home with his loving family by his side. He was 68.
Mr. Collison was born in Milford, son of the late H. Ray and Virginia Lee Collision.
He served his country proudly in the U.S. Navy.
Mr. Collison worked as a dairy farmer for most of his life, and most recently worked at Beracah Homes as an escort driver. At one time, he also drove a milk truck.
He had a second passion next to his family: Belgium horses. He raised many horses over the years and was involved in carriage driving and horse pulls. He enjoyed going to horse sales and building his own carriages. He had a talent for being a jack of all trades but he did well with carpentry and wood working. He built his own home and barns and did it all from the framing and construction to the brick work and concrete. He was especially good with the construction of carriages. He would buy the drive train and then build the carriage. He even built an authentic stagecoach.
Mr. Collison was a simple man with simple tastes. He was an old-fashioned man who believed in working with his hands and doing an honest day's work. He loved to help people and he loved to help his Amish brethren. He enjoyed helping them shred their corn and filling their silos. He always wanted to be a cowboy and could see himself living that way of life. He was good with a lasso and surprised a few people over the years with his roping. He loved life, to laugh and be a practical jokester. He will be remembered as emotionally strong, the solid rock of his family, but showed a softer side with his family, especially around his grandchildren who melted his heart.
He is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Joann Collison; a son, Todd Collision of Harrington; five daughters, Holly Jackson of Milford, Pam Naples of Maine, Debbie Perreault of Danielson, Conn., Billie Jo Chaffinch of Marathon, N.Y., and Virginia Thornton of Henderson, Md.; two brothers, Ronnie Collison and Wayne Collision, both of Harrington; a sister, Janet Hayman of Denton, Md.; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Melvin Funeral Home, 15522 South DuPont Hwy., Harrington.
Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home
Burial will be in Denton Cemetery.
