Gary Paul Collins

Gary Paul Collins of Shelton, WA, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on February 14, 2025, of terminal Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. He lived independently at his home until five days before his death. His battle with cancer was relatively short, fought with dignity and only minor discomfort. He was loved by his family and friends and well respected by his coworkers and community.

After graduating from Irene S. Reed High School in 1960, he moved to Sitka, Alaska, with his parents Raymond Lewis Collins and Myrtle Anna Freda Dittman Collins, and sought employment at a pulp mill. His father's death brought him back to Washington where he went to business college in Mount Vernon and married Sharon Hull. Later, they moved to Yakima where he began his career in healthcare and where his two children were born. He first became an Assistant Controller and then Controller at Yakima Memorial Hospital. Before leaving Washington, he went to work for Hill Haven Long Term Care as Regional Controller for seven western states, being responsible for all accounting functions. During his time with Hill Haven, he acquired his administrative license and became an Administrator first in Tacoma, then Boston, Raleigh, and finally to various facilities in the Bay Area and Southern California. While working in San Francisco, his building generated more revenue than any of the other locations. He developed an in-house rehab program to help the residents with knee, hip, and shoulder injuries that went company wide. He was the first in the area to introduce IV Therapy so patients could relocate conveniently from the hospital to a facility.

He moved on from Hill Haven to working with Ken Robinson, a private facility owner, to Covenant Care, and Plum Health Care as Vice President of Operations. He spent many years in service for California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF) from 1986-2008, where he was described as a "larger-than-life person," being highly respected by the residents of the facilities, and their families, as well as the staff. During that time, he had many roles and positions from serving on various committees and being chairperson or vice chairperson to president of different chapters. (Santa Clara Chapter from 1992-1994 and Progress Valley Chapter from 2006-2008). In 2004, he received the CAHF Statewide Distinguished Award for his leadership and volunteer work at the state and regional levels and local CAHF Chapter. He often volunteered in fundraising for CAHF's legislative priorities and helped to coordinate efforts to collect and ship greatly needed medical equipment to several flood ravished countries in Africa. He retired in 2008 and was honored for his service and influence in the healthcare industry and where he made many friends and mentored many people.

Post retirement he created his own consultation company, Collins Health Care. He played golf as a hobby throughout his life and played in a variety of amateur golf tournaments on the west coast and in Arizona where he spent a number of years before returning to Shelton. He enjoyed restoring boats, traveling and playing poker with his buddies. He was proud of the successes of his children and grandchildren.

He lived a full life and was at peace at the time of his death. He is survived by his sister, Sandi McCord, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, daughter Shari Williams and her husband Aaron Williams, son Jason Collins, and their children, step son Joseph Largent, as well as nieces and nephews; children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of his brother, Raymond Collins.