James Marvin “Jim” Collins, of Meridian, Idaho, passed away on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Born in Cambridge, Idaho, on Feb. 28, 1938, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Everitt and Dale; and his parents, May and Jim Collins.
Jim grew up in Cambridge, where he graduated from Cambridge High School before attending the University of Idaho in Moscow.
Jim married his high school sweetheart, Joanne Cameron, on March 30, 1957. They recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.
He is survived by his wife, Joanne Collins; two sisters, Esther Stover, of Payette, and Dorothy Clark, of Coeur d’Alene; three sons, Lawrence, Doug and Eric; and two daughters, Joni Crystl Collins and Cathie Knapp. He is much loved by 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Jim was called by his middle name, Marvin, until he began to be called by his first name as an adult in the business world. After working a wide variety of jobs, he was hired by the City of Boise, where he managed the maintenance of the fleet of vehicles owned by the city. He later moved to the city of Lewiston to manage the city-owned vehicles there. He was widely respected as a businessman and as a citizen in his community.
No matter what else was going on, Jim’s very favorite thing to do was to spend time with his family. He enjoyed many outdoor activities, including camping, riding motorcycles and archery, and one of his greatest loves was music. He passed on his knowledge and love of his favorite things to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and was delighted to experience these things along with them throughout his life. He played trumpet, guitar and piano, and was a patient and skillful music teacher. His passion for music is part of the legacy he leaves behind.
Cremation will be handled by Accent Funeral Home of Meridian, and he will be interred at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 11, at Salubria Cemetery. A short reception will follow at the Indian Valley Community Hall. Please dress casually and comfortably.
