Carol Sue Collins (née Koopmann), 73, passed away on Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Statesboro, GA. She was born on July 10, 1949, in Albany, Georgia, to Esther Texas (Pearson) Koopmann and Mark Edgar Koopmann. Carol was a strong woman of faith and a member of Waldens United Methodist Church. She blessed the lives of countless children as a special education teacher in the Tift County public school system for 40 years.
Carol had a kind and quick-witted personality and was known for her generosity, hospitality, and warmth. She enjoyed music, singing, gardening, cooking, and mercilessly beating her loved ones at cards and scrabble. Carol made friends anywhere she went and had a gift for making people feel loved and appreciated. Carol graduated from Doerun High School and earned a Bachelor's degree from Darton College and a Master's degree from Valdosta State University.
Carol is survived by her loving husband, James Mike Collins; her children, Pearson Gardner (Lauren), Karoline Collins Ivester (Chad), Jonathan Collins (Tiffany), and Joshua Collins (Meredith); her grandchildren, Tyler Ware Gardner, Oliver Preston Ivester, Hudson Eli Ivester, and Wyatt Macauley Ivester; and her siblings, Diane Koopmann Peabody and Judith Koopmann (Kenny) Morris. She was preceded in death by her parents, Esther Texas (Pearson) Koopmann and Mark Edgar Koopmann, her sister Madeline Kaye Koopmann, and her former husband Melton Ware Gardner.
The first visitation will be held on Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., followed by a service at 2:00 p.m. at Waldens Church, 1760 Walden's Church Road, Avera, Georgia. The second visitation will be held on Friday, June 2, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., followed by a service at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 603 Belmont Avenue, Tifton, GA. Thereafter, her burial will occur at Mt. Enon Baptist Cemetery in Baconton, GA at 2:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Mt. Enon Baptist Church in Baconton, GA, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, or the Ogeechee Area Hospice.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of arrangements.
