Helen V. Collinson

Helen V. Collinson, 92, died August 9, 2011 at home surrounded by her loving family. She was the wife of James A. Collinson.
Born in Providence, a daughter of the late James and Magdalene (Donnelly) DeMars, she was a Warwick resident for 10 years, previously living in Florida, West Kingston and Cranston. Helen was named R.I. State Mother of the Year in 1978. She was a long-time member of the Gaspee Days Committee. She had been a member of the Hendricken High School Mother's Club.
She was a volunteer at Roger Williams Hospital and at Christ the King Church. She was a former member of the General Federation of Cosmopolitan Women's Clubs. While living in Florida, she was a volunteer at Columbia Hospital in Brandon.
Besides her husband she leaves two daughters, Beverly Costello of Clearwater, Fla. and Marianne Collinson Farrell, with whom she lived; five sons, James of Cranston, William of Broad View Heights, Ohio, John of Sandwich, Mass., Albert of Berlin, Mass. and Richard of West Kingston; 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She was the sister of the late James and Theodore DeMars, Marion O'Connor, Dorothy Conway and Veronica Flynn.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Aug. 13 in Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Church, 84 Exeter Rd., Exeter. Burial was in Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, Exeter. Calling hours were Aug. 12 in Urquhart-Murphy Funeral Home, 800 Greenwich Ave., Warwick.
Donations in her memory may be made to VNA of Care New England, 51 Health Lane, Warwick, RI 02886. Condolences may be left at www.murphyfuneralhomes.org.