FRANCES HARRELL COLLINS died on July 17, 2016 in
Dallas, TX at the age of 98.
She was born on April 3, 1918 in Sour Lake, TX to
Doyle & Lelia Skillern Harrell, the third of four
children. Frances was a graduate of Ranger High
School in Ranger, TX, 1935, Stephen F. Austin
Teacher's College, 1939 & Texas Women's University,
1969. In Feb. of 1947, she married Thomas D. Collins
at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Dallas. When her
youngest child entered kindergarten Frances went to
work as a teacher first at St. Pius X Catholic School
& later as a special education teacher in the Richardson
ISD. She ended her education career as a special
education materials librarian with the Texas Education
Service Center Region 10 from which she retired in 1984.
Retirement did not last long. Soon she was working at
the Dallas Museum of Art as a gallery attendant. For
the next twenty six years Frances enjoyed work, exhibits
& events, as well as meeting interesting people, museum
visitors, artists and curators from around the globe.
She loved traveling in the US and overseas. When Frances
was 82 she took her last big trip accompanying an Ethiopian
co-worker home to visit her family. Frances last position
at the DMA was telephone receptionist. Upon her second
retirement at age 93 the DMA reception desk was named in
her honor. Frances loved people and had friends of all
ages, races and ethnicities and will be remembered with
deep affection by many.
Frances is preceded in death by husband Thomas Collins,
Sr. and son Thomas Collins, Jr. She is survived by her
children Kate Chitwood, Dennis Collins, Ellen Davis and
husband Bob, and daughter-in-law, Jean Collins; grand-
children, Sean Chitwood and wife Mila Webb, Ivan Collins,
Barret Collins, Shannon Threatt and husband James, Dakota
Davis and fiancé Beth Anne Reed, Forest Davis, & extended
family. Her siblings were Lorene Harrell Massengale (RHS-
1937), Ford Harrell (RHS-1928), & Bayne Harrell (RHS-1933).