ELKTON, Md. - Sidney Burton Collison, Jr. of Elkton, Md. formerly of Beaver, W.Va. and Dover, died Friday, Jun. 23, 2017 at home.
He was born in Princewick, W.Va. on Mar. 31, 1928. Mr. Collison received his Bachelors Degree of Education at Concord College and his Masters of Education at Virginia Polytech Institute. He began his career in Giles County, Va. as a teacher and principal of Narrows High School. He moved to Delaware in 1963 and became the Headmaster of the Greenwood Delaware Schools. He later moved to Dover and took the position of principal of Central Middle School. Several years later he became the Assistant Superintendent of the A.I. DuPont School District. In 1978 he moved back to Dover and began working for the State Department of Education as Deputy State Superintendent, a position in which he retired in 1987. After retiring he continued as a consultant and educator for the Wilmington College education program. He was highly regarded by his peers and touched many lives as an educator.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Sidney and Etta Callison; his beloved wife of 48 years, Carole Collison; his second wife, Edith Lively Collison; and a sister, Eugenia Agee.
He is survived by two sons, Terrance Collison of Harper, W.Va., Russell Collison (Kathleen) of Warwick, Md.; and one daughter, Cynthia Bartosh of Elkton, Md.; three sisters, Mae Shultz of Roanoke, Va., Barbara Charlton of Dillwyn, Va. and Judith Raif of Sanford, N.C.; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will take place at the Peoples Church of Dover, on Oct. 7, 2017 at 11 a.m. with an interment at the Lakeside Cemetery. A reception will follow after the services at the church fellowship hall.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Disease Research on the website in memory of Mr. Collison.