Collins, Robert Bristol “T” , Age: 87, Shrewsbury and formerly Rumson

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Robert Collins, “T,” was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1927 and was raised in Scarsdale where he graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1945. T attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and received a BS in management engineering in 1950 and was a brother of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. He received his MBA from Syracuse University in 1951. T served his country in the United States Navy at the end of World War II and in the United States Army and the Army Reserves during the Korean War.

His family summered in Monmouth Beach and were members of Monmouth Beach Club where he met lifelong friends. After college, T made the shore his permanent home and was a member of the Deal Golf Club. He and his wife Marylyn settled in Rumson where they lived for 46 years and raised their five children. T began his career in consulting at DuPont, and later moved to Alexander Proudfoot. He founded his own consulting firm, Productivity Improvement, Inc., in 1973, from which he retired in 1989.

T’s life was full and he enjoyed many passions. He loved boating, fishing, and travel, and was happiest cruising and exploring the East Coast with family and friends aboard T’s Toy. He docked the boat at the Channel Club from 1977 to 1991. His favorite places to travel with the family were Southwest Harbor Maine, the Florida Keys, Block Island and Grand Bahama.

T also had a passion for golf. He and Marylyn played golf throughout the United States and he carried Marylyn’s bag when she shot a hole-in-one in Barbados. T enjoyed photographing the many places he visited throughout the world and leaves behind a wonderful collection of pictures.
Cooking, and entertaining the neighborhood at themed parties were also favorite pastimes. He was predeceased by their daughter, Kimberly Grace, in March 2006.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Marylyn; and their four children, Tracy Morris and her husband Rick, Robert “Rip” Collins and his wife MaryJo, Patricia Finaldi and her husband Ralph and Lynn Volker and her husband Chuck. He also leaves behind nine grandchildren, Robert, Grace,
Emily, Charlie, Jack, Brian, Megan, Henry and John. A memorial gathering will be held on Thursday, October 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad Street, Red Bank. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org) or the Monmouth County SPCA (monmouthcountyspca.org).