Kenneth R. Collins, Jr.

Kenny Collins passed away with grace Wednesday, December 10 at Lahey Hospital in Burlington, surrounded by family and friends. He was 72 years old.

Born in Melrose, MA on May 3, 1953, Kenny was the proud son of the late Kenneth and Mary (Quay, Chweij) Collins. He graduated Wakefield High School Class of 1971. Under the apprenticeship of Bobby Callan, Kenny earned his plumbing license with Plumb-Rite, Inc. and worked as a skilled plumber. Spending decades in service to the town of Wakefield and beyond, he worked for Industrial Filters Equipment Corp. and later the Wakefield Water Department.

Kenny was a proud member of the Wakefield Fire Department, a brotherhood he spoke of with honor long after his retirment in 1998.

Kenny was a superb craftsman with leather and wood, never hesitant to help with fixing, building, or reconstructing. His knowledge lives on in the many family and friends with whom he built beside through the years.

A man of many names - Buddy, Gunk, Buddha, Yunk, Frank - Kenny was simply beyond containment of traditional titles. Forever the epitome of fashion, Kenny cherished his fishing trips, camping, and decades of bluegrass festivals. Leaving friends from The West Side to The Foxhole, to experience him was to know him. He was more than family to his friends, and having a nickname bestowed upon you by him was a sure sign of his love.

Kenny is survived by his Sweetie, wife Carolyn Low, as well as her daughter Pam (Low) Rindfleisch and husband Kirk, and their son Eric Rindfleisch and fiancé Erika Garcia Mayuri. He leaves sister-in-law Madeleine Gillis and her husband Neil, their daughters Amy Wendell with sons Tyler and Cooper Wendell, and Christa, with Christa’s wife Sabrina and their son Jacob Gillis. Kenny is also survived by daughter Sarah (Collins) Slack, her husband Dan Slack, Jr., and their four children Tucker, Beau, Oscar and Mabel Slack, as well as Zack Collins and his wife Dana (Olsson) Collins. Kenny leaves his sister Karen (Collins) Landano, her husband Al and their children Alana and Nick, and sister Marla Collins and Bob Barnes. Kenny is forever their protective big brother.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the West Side Social Club (4 Harrington Ct. in Wakefield, MA) on Thursday, December 18 from 3-7p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.

In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Kenny’s memory with a donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org), which supports Gold Star and fallen first responder families.

Arrangements were in the care of the McDonald Funeral Home, Wakefield.