Obituary: Kathleen Emma Collins

Mrs. Kathleen Emma (Slater) Collins, 73, of Oakville, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 3, 2013, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington.  

She was the beloved wife of 52 year of Richard N. Collins. 

Born in Bridgeport on Sept. 16, 1939, a daughter of the late John and Helen (Rutkowski) Slater, she graduated from Bassick High School in 1957. She worked as a secretary at Bridgeport Metal Goods after graduating from Butler Business School in 1960. 

She married the love of her life on Nov. 4, 1961, and was the mother to five children. She worked tirelessly to ensure the happiness of her family.  

Kathleen’s greatest joy was spending time with her children and grandchildren.  Her grandchildren were the light of her life, the love in her heart and brought endless smiles to her face. She was known to drop everything, much to the dismay of her husband, to attend to their every need and make a “grammy sammy,” a “famous” sandwich made by grandma. 

During retirement, Kathleen assisted at the rectory of Church of the Good Shepherd in Seymour for many years before becoming a communicant at St. John the Evangelist in Watertown. 

In addition to her beloved husband Richard, she is survived by three daughters, Patricia Ann Nichols and her husband, Cliff of Torrington, Kathleen M. Katrenya and her husband, Andrew of Naugatuck, Nancy M. Roach and her husband, Tom of Southington; her son, Jeffrey Collins of Seymour; her nine grandchildren, Kelly, Dana and Colleen Behuniak, Andrew, Adam and Wesley Katrenya, Dylan, Erin and Sean Roach; and several nieces and nephews.  

Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her infant son, Michael; older sister Patricia Slater; and younger brother, John Slater. 

Her funeral will take place on Monday, July 8, at 10 a.m. from the Naugatuck Valley Memorial/Fitzgerald Zembruski Funeral Home, 240 North Main St., Naugatuck, to Church of the Good Shepherd, 135 Mountain Road, Seymour, for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the family’s convenience in St. James Cemetery, Cross Street, Naugatuck. 

Calling hours will be held at the funeral home on Sunday, July 7, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

To send an online condolence, visit www.naugatuckvalleymemorial.com