Michael J. "Mike" Collins

Middleton: Michael J. Collins passed away peacefully on Sunday December 15, 2024 at Agrace HospiceCare. He was born May 25, 1943 in Seattle, WA the son of Charles and Marjorie Collins. 

Mike grew up in Denver, CO. He received his BA, MA, and Ph.D from the University of Colorado. He served his country in the Marine Corps from 1962-1968. Mike started his career working at the VA Hospital in Albuquerque, NM, and then transferred to the VA Hospital in Madison in the mid 70’s. Mike married Kathy Knudtson October 9, 1986 in Madison. He was an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin. In 1988 Mike became the Director of Speech and Language Pathology at Dean Medical Center and worked there until his retirement in 2015. 

Mike was a humble man that impacted many people with his contributions to Speech and Language Pathology. His leadership as president of the Wisconsin Speech and Hearing Foundation, vice president of the Wisconsin Speech-Language-Hearing Association and author of “Global Aphasia” and “Diagnosis and Treatment of Global Aphasia,” were just a few of his accomplishments. Mike was an avid skier, scuba diver, and golfer, and loved his flower garden.

Peter Egan shared the following with Mike’s family:

I can’t believe my good friend Mike is gone. I met him about 25 years ago when I was attending a Sunday morning breakfast for Formula-1 fans at the Blue Moon Bar & Grill. While we all watched the race, I noticed the guy sitting next to me at the bar was dividing his attention between the big-screen TV and a Martin guitar brochure that sat next to his coffee cup. “Are you a guitar player?” I asked.

And so began a long friendship with Mike Collins. It turned out we both owned Martin guitars, among other brands, and shared a similar addiction to sports cars and motorcycles. We also liked the same blend of folk music, folk/rock and Mississippi Delta blues and got together often to play guitar. Mike had a naturally good singing voice and picking style, and I soon learned these talents may be genetic, because his sister was the great folk singer Judy Collins and his father had been a jazz pianist and radio host in Denver. 

Mike and I spent many summer weekends riding our Triumph motorcycles on the backroads of the Driftless Area or driving our slightly used sports car to LaCrosse on exploratory shopping trips to Dave’s Guitar. Long conversations on these drives revealed Mike to be one of the most thoughtful and well-read people I’d met, and he had a quick sense of humor. They were fun trips, and we made our last one just a few months ago.

Mike’s many friends and I will miss all of this. He was simply a great guy and a good-hearted friend who, with the tireless help of his wife Kathy, fought bravely to stay with us, right up to the end. His passing leaves a large empty space in all of our lives. 

Mike is survived by his wife Kathy, son, Matthew (Lina) Collins, stepson, Nick Lindgren, stepdaughter, Stacy (James) Lindgren, grandsons; Tad, Ben, and Cam; sisters; Judy Collins and Holly (Harvey) Kahn, and his brother Dave (Libby) Collins, brother in law and sister in laws; Joan (Cal) Fuhrman, Ginny (Steve) Anderson, and Bob (Judy) Knudtson, and many nieces and nephews. Mike was preceded in death by his parents, in-laws, brother Denver, sister-in-law Marge Fictum, brother-in-law Louis Nelson, and a nephew, Clark Taylor.

The family wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude to Agrace HospiceCare and St. Mary’s Hospital for their compassionate care.

Arrangements are pending for a celebration of Mike’s life. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Mike’s name may be made to Agrace HospiceCare or the charity of your choice.

Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com

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