Helen Jean Collins

1930-2025

Helen ‘Jean’ (Pillion) Collins, age 94, passed away peacefully on April 30th, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona.  She was the first of four children born to George and Helen (Beroshok) Pillion on June 5th, 1930, in Morristown, New Jersey. Raised in Whippany, Jean helped her mom with her younger siblings, graduated from Bailey Ellard High School, and married the love of her life, Edward ‘Ed’ Collins, on April 7th, 1951; While Ed honorably served as a marine, the young couple lived together in North Carolina, eventually returning to Whippany, to start a family.

In addition to being a loving wife, mom, homemaker, and nana, Jean held a variety of jobs such as a telephone operator, a school nurse’s aide, and an office secretary.   Known to all as a giver, her faith, kindness, sense of humor and good will had touched many hearts and souls both in NJ and AZ, where she and Ed retired in the early 1990s.  Once settled in Tucson, she became an active parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.  She loved reading, puzzles and keeping in touch with friends and family. 

Jean was predeceased by her beloved husband, Ed Collins; her siblings, George Pillion, Betty (Pillion) Wheat, and John Pillion; her granddaughter, Nicole Collins; and her parents, George and Helen Pillion. She is survived by her son, Richard Collins; her daughter, Barbara (Collins) DeLuna; her son-in-law Nicholas DeLuna; and her granddaughters, Alicia and Christina DeLuna.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church, 8650 N. Shannon Road, Tucson, AZ 85742.

10:30 am Rosary

11:00 am Mass

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her memory to Special Olympics, https://www.specialolympics.org/ or to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton https://seastucson.org/