December 16, 1947 - June 19, 2024
Penelope “Penny” Beecher Collins passed away on June 19, 2024. She was born on December 16, 1947, in Galesburg Illinois, a fraternal twin and the fourth child to Dr. Merrill C. Beecher and Martha Youry Beecher. Penny graduated from high school in Pompano Beach, Florida and was a graduate of the Emory University Nursing School. While attending Emory, she met her better half, her husband of 7 days short of 53 years, Henry Jackson Collins, while he was attending the Georgia Institute of Technology.
She worked as a registered nurse in LaGrange, Georgia, Spartanburg, South Carolina, Greenwood, South Carolina, and Statesboro, Georgia. She was the Assistant Director of Nurses at Bulloch Memorial Hospital. Penny returned to school to receive her master’s in nursing while working full time, running a household, and raising her two children, Jay Collins of Boca Raton, Florida and Julie Collins of Atlanta, Georgia.
She went on to work as a nursing professor at Georgia Southern University, and later became certified as a family nurse practitioner and was employed at the Georgia Southern Health Center.
Her loves after family and God included spending time with her family at her Hilton Head condo, golfing, music, and giving medical advice. She enjoyed her family, her animals, her back porch, the beach, grilling out, growing her flowers, and playing cards with beloved friends at Forest Heights Country Club. She was an exceptional caregiver, beloved mother and sister, and Nané to her grandchildren.
She is survived by her devoted husband, Jake Collins; her loving children, Julie and Jay; her cherished grandchildren, Joey, Kellen, and Maia, and her loyal dog Mandy. She also leaves behind her three sisters, Pamela Buckley (Jerry), Judith Halverson, and her fraternal twin, Patricia Knight, and many numerous loved nieces and nephews.
The family will receive visitors on Friday, June 28th, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm at Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in Statesboro.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 29th at 11:00am in the funeral home chapel with Dr. John Waters officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests any memorial contributions be made to the Humane Society of Statesboro & Bulloch County at http://www.statesborohumane.org
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of arrangements.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Penelope, please visit our floral store.
