Birth date: Jul 16, 1936 Death date: Dec 9, 2015
Services for Joe Collier will be held at 4 pm on Friday, December 11 in the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home of Longview. Richard Emmerson and David Farmer will officiate. Joe passed away Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at a local hospita Read Obituary
In our memories, Joe was a super guy. We went to church with Joe and Betty Lyn at Woodland Church and spent a lot of years working with them and spending time with them at Woodland. Betty Lyn, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you go through this difficult time. GOD is good and will give you the strength and courage you need to move forward. Love, Pat and Jerry Davis
Joe Collier was a dear dear friend. Our friendship grew through my bumbling as a runner...then through bike riding. We got into the spirit of it signing up for the Texas Chainring Challenge, that audacious ride across East Texas those years ago. We trained, sort of, with Joe sometimes preparing laminated maps of often hilly routes around Longview. We got lost anyway! Joe was so encouraging, tho, telling me as we neared the crest of endless hills, "this is the last one". On those tours, Joe often helped out, lending solid suggestions when things looked like they might get a little off!
He was one of a kind: a true gentleman, AND a man with the spirit of a kid still shining bright. He loved his family and was protective to the core. When his beautiful granddaughter, Nicole, came alone, a new kind of beaming came across his face. Betty Lyn shared with me yesterday that Joe often told her how sad it was that other people just had ordinary grandchildren, and they had the very best, Nicole.
Fiercely loyal, always kind, a great listener with the right thing to say when you were studying how to get out of a pickle, and always ready for an adventure, no matter how silly.
My heart goes out to his family--Ken, Sandy, Nicole, and his beloved life partner Betty Lyn. We all lost the best! Am one lucky ducky to have been in his sphere, running, biking, laughing, talking.
God Bless. Many a morning I have begun with a smile on my face over a memory or two of Joe's kindness and fun. And that's is the way it will go for me, from here on out.
Much love to his family.
Thanks for sharing this fine man with so many of us.
Retta Kelley Van Auken
I worked with Joe at Eastman for many years. I would have to say that he was always the same day in and day out and always cordial to me. On occasion I would join him at the Pig Trail after work along with other lab personnel. One of the few good men left has gone on. My thoughts are with the family at this sad time.
Billy F. Martin
Joe was one of the finest men I have ever known. He was kind, sincere, a man of his word. I am a better person for knowing him. A big hole will be left in my heart with his passing. My sympathy to Betty Lyn and Ken
Love, Beverly Holloway
