Howard Collins

R. Howard Collins

81, North Sydney

It is with heartfelt sadness we announce the peaceful passing of Howard Collins on Thursday, August 25, 2022 at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, surrounded by his loving family who he cherished and loved deeply.

Howard was born March 19, 1941 in North Sydney.  He was a son of the late Wilson and Elizabeth (Cleary) Collins.

Howard was predeceased by his loving wife Maureen (Connell) Collins in 2009.  He is survived by his three daughters Mary Lynn, Carolyn and Colleen, all at home; his three sons, Howie, Jr. (Rose), Westmount, Ian (Cathy), Coldbrook, NS and Christopher, Coquitlam, BC; one sister Marion Gouthro, North Sydney; five grandchildren, Holly (Ezra), D.J. (Shantel), Amy (Alex), Kieran (Abigail) and Avery; one great-grandson Levi.  He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Howard’s passion in life was training and driving standardbred horses.  His love for horses began with training and driving his father’s horse Scotty Boy and his uncle Stan’s horse Uncle Al.  His passion continued with having his own stable of horses for such owners as the Jabalee’s, Gordon “Moose” Mercer, Dr. Chow and Nikway Farms.  He was awarded Leading Driver at the Cape Breton Sports Centre in 1971.  Years later he was also inducted into the Cape Breton Horsemen’s Hall of Fame.  His love of the trotters came with owning and training his own trotter Hurdoskey, who won an Atlantic Sires Stake Race in Sydney driven by long-time friend Dave Ratchford and trotter Nikway Joe who raced all over the Maritimes as a three-year old who finished second in the Dairy Queen Final driven by John Ratchford.

Later in life his passion switched to owning horses with his daughter Mary Lynn.  One of their favorites being Woodmere Westerner (Woody) who had a very successful year in 2010 winning Horse of the Year.

His other passion in life was playing hockey with his friend Paul “Jigger” Andrea.  He played hockey for the Notre Dame Athletic Club hockey team winning the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Maritime Juvenile Hockey Championships in 1957-58 which resulted in an induction into the Cape Breton Sports Hall of Fame.  His passion in hockey continued with watching his sons play hockey and then grandsons D.J. and Kieran.

Howard was also predeceased by his brothers Martin (Marty), Wilson (Jeep) and Floyd (Joe); his first wife Frances (O’Quinn) Collins; sisters-in-law Dorothy (Holbeche) Collins, Yvonne (Young) Collins and Patsy (MacNeil) Collins and his brothers-in-law Frank Gouthro and Walter Connell.

The family would like to thank the Doctors and Nurses at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital for their care and compassion through his brief illness.

A visitation for Howard will be held on Monday, August 29, 2022 from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at W.J. Dooley Funeral Home, 107 Pleasant Street, North Sydney.  A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, August 30 at 2:00 pm, St. Joseph Church, North Sydney with Rev. Doug MacDonald officiating.  Burial to take place at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Sydney.  Donations can be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association or a charity of choice.  Online condolences may be sent to the family by leaving a message on the tribute wall of the obituary page at www.wjdooley.com.

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