BOMBER MEMORIAL

JIMMIE DALE "JIM" COLLINGS ~ Class of 1962
August 14, 1944 - May 21, 2015

Jim Collings - 1962 - Sr. Portrait

Jim was born August 14, 1944, in Wheaton, Missouri, to Virgil and Dorothy Fossard Collings.

Jim Collings - circa 1945

He passed away on May 21, 2015, at his home in Lone Tree, Colorado, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was raised on a farm outside Wheaton until the age of four.

Jim Collings - age 3 - circa 1947

Jim's father accepted a job as a guard working at The Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Jim, his mother, and sister travelled by train to join Virgil in Richland in 1948. The family moved to several locations until Jim was in the 5th grade when they moved back to Richland permanently.

Jim, Shirley, and Barbara - 1953 ~ Jim Collings - 1955 - 5th Grade

Jim attended elementary school in Ipava, IL and Mulvane, KS before finishing 5th grade at Jefferson, Jason Lee and Spalding. He attended 6th grade at Spalding, and Chief Joseph Junior High School.

Jim - 1959 - 9th Grade

Dad and Jim - 1957 - Easter ~ Jim, Shirley, and Barbara - 1957 - Easter

Fishing was a passion and many trips to O'Sullivan catching crappie were enjoyed with his family as well as fishing for bass on the Columbia River and for trout at the Potholes.

Jim, Dad and Shirley - 1958 ~ Jim Collings, fisherman - 1958

He graduated from Richland's Columbia High School with the class of 1962. He attended Columbia Basin College earning an Associate's Degree in Computer Sciences in 1965. This was the second class to graduate from CBC in Computer Sciences.

He attended the Richland Baptist Church and played on the church's basketball team for several years.

Jim married Jan in 1965, went to work for Boise Cascade, and moved to Boise, ID. His daughter, Jamie, was born in Boise in 1966. He and Jan were later divorced.

He programmed and managed information systems for his entire career. Following Boise Cascade, he worked for Princess Cruises and Wells Fargo Bank. He also was employed at a diamond mine in Colombia, South America, where he met his wife, Belinda. They returned to the states and were married in 1984. Their daughter, Adriana, was born in 1994. They were later divorced. At one time, Jim also owned his own company which provided contract programmers in the Denver area.

Jim was a loving father, grandfather, brother and son; and his happiest times were spent with his family. The BBQ came on whenever family or friends showed up at his home. A wonderful man with a positive outlook on where he was headed even if it was back to the grocery store for the 3rd time during dinner preparations because the guests wanted to add to the menu. We will forever miss the laughter and love he showered upon us.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents and by his step brother, Alan Collings.

He is survived by his daughters, Dr. Jamie Collings (Dr. Mark Kling) and Adriana Collings; grandsons, Keaton and Kameron; his sisters, Shirley Collings Haskins ('66) (Dennis ('66)) and Barbara Collings ('71); step-mother, Wilma Collings; step-brother Bruce Collings; nephew, Dustin Collings; nieces, Lindsay Haskins Gailey (Brad) and Kelly Haskins Retter (Jared); great nephews, Wyatt, William, and Patrick.

Shirley, Jim, and Barbara - 1992

Per his request, he was cremated and there were no services. A celebration of life may be held at a later date in Richland. Please consider making a donation in Jim's name to www.cancer.org.

Published in the Tri-City Herald from June 2 to June 3, 2015.

For the Class of 1962 – Jim enjoyed the 50 year class reunion and seeing all of you again.

Guest Book online permanently.