John Collins

 

   10/25/1948 - 05/22/2012


Husband, father, grandfather and one of the greatest friends a truck driver could have. The trucking industry lost one of it’s finest and we are all shocked and saddened. 


John was 64 years young. 


John was a Vietnam Veteran. He was a POW for 5 months. He was shot out of a helicopter, fell in the water and captured. He earned 4 purple hearts and 3 bronze stars. He felt he was the protector of all the guys in his platoon. He couldn’t talk about much of what went on over there, when he would speak of that time in his life, tears would come to his eyes.



He was an over 10 year driver for The House of Raeford. Barbara and John and their two shelties would head off on the road and cut up with other drivers. John was driving truck at the same time he was taking Chemo treatment. That was how much he loved the trucking industry, he couldn’t be away from it.


Life time member of OOIDA  


The family isn't asking for any monetary aid, they're wanting stories and memories of John from all of his trucking industry friends. You can call his cell phone and leave messages or sent letters to the snail mail address below.



910-261-0454


8385 hwy 131

Bladenboro NC 

28320


We have his son's email also if you would like to send an email.

dhchildress@gmail.com  


And here is his guest book.

http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/fayettevilleobserver/guestbook.aspx?n=john-collins&pid=157791899


There will be a facebook page set up soon also where you can share your stories about John with his family and everyone else. We'll keep you posted. 


One of the problems we face in the trucking industry is that when one of us leaves this world, not hearing from them for a while is perfectly normal. We're separated by miles of highway and our lives out of the truck tend to get in the way. Are friendships are like a long distance relationship, distance makes the heart grow fonder. We'll all be going through our daily routine day after day and then all of a sudden in pops into our minds. Hey, I haven't heard from John in awhile, I wonder what he's up to, we call and on the other end is the news we all dread to hear..... 

Your friends at Trucker Charity Inc will miss you dearly John.