Joan Hatch Collins

1941-2020

Joan H. Collins lost her abattle with cancer on September 1, 2020.  She was born in Highland Park, Michigan April 7, 1941. She was the daughter of Ronald and Grace Hatch of Detroit, Michigan. Joan grew up in Detroit, graduated from Redford High School in 1959, and received a BA degree in Sociology from Michigan State University in 1963 where she developed lifelong friendships with her Pi Beta Phi sorority sisters. 

After college, Joan worked for Saks Fifth Avenue, Detroit, and Southern Bell Telephone in New Orleans, LA.  In 1965, she married Arthur Collins, of Gulfport, MS becoming a stepmother to Lance Collins and Dr. Kismet Lagarde, and resided in Atlanta, Ga., New Orleans, LA, and Houston, TX. until her divorce in 1976. 

Joan then purchased a home in Sugarland, TX and lived with her children and Mother there for many years while working in various human resource and personnel management positions at several companies including Metier in Houston, TX; and Lucas Applied Technologies, in Houston, Virginia Beach and Newport News, VA..  During the past 13 years she worked as a placement counselor for REA Services. Joan was also a personal coach for many years assisting and counseling many appreciative clients, from her residences in Sugarland, Elk Rapids, MI, McAllen, TX, and finally Austin, TX where she had moved in 2017 to be closer to her children.

She was diagnosed with cancer of the peritoneum in 2017. Throughout her 3 years of treatment, she remained optimistic, strong willed, and positive. Her family feels fortunate to have been able to support her during those years. She loved spending time with her children and granddaughter, Maya Nall. She was surrounded by her brother, children, granddaughter, and niece at the time of her death and left our world peacefully, surrounded by love.

Joan was a highly spiritual person and a great seeker of truth and knowledge. She was a philosopher and was always up for a good debate or discussion. She was an intelligent, career driven woman who was also an extremely talented artist inspired by nature.  

She had a beautiful smile, loved talking with people and never met a stranger. Her family and friends were the most important thing in her life. She was so grateful as she continued to receive support from numerous family members and dear friends whom she had maintained close friendships with over the many years from early childhood, high school, college, and business. She loved them all dearly, and her spirit will remain with all of us who were lucky enough to be a part of her life. 

Joan is survived by her two children, Chad Collins and Courtney Nall (Steve) of Austin, TX, granddaughter, Maya Nall, brother Fred Hatch (Shelia), of Ann Arbor, MI, and numerous close  family members (some now deceased) whom she loved to visit with, over many years, in New Hampshire and Maine. 

Her ashes will be interred at the gravesite of her parents in Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester, MA.

(We thank classmate Linda Stultz Tucker for coordinating with Joan's family in getting this obituary written to be posted in our RHS '59 In Memory section, as it was not published in the print of a newspaper)