of Mountain View, AR

November 22, 1932 - November 5, 2021

Carl Pafford Collins, age 88, passed away November 5, 2021, at Stone County Medical Center in Mountain View, Arkansas. Carl was born in Pope, Mississippi, on November 22, 1932, to Ruby Cora Bridges Collins and John Madison Collins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Lionel Collins and sister-in-law, Kaye.

Carl joined the U. S. Naval Reserve after graduating high school and served two years active duty and 10 years inactive duty. He then took flight lessons and learned aerial acrobatics. He carried the love of flying and soaring freely throughout his lifetime in watching birds in flight.

Carl also loved to do leather work and whiled away tooling instrumental straps and apparel accessories. His tools are now with his daughter where she and two great grandchildren plan to learn the trade which gave him great pleasure.

In Carl's younger days, he and friends Doug Cole and Don Halford joined the band ''Dixie Bluegrass Boys'' in Lucy, Tennessee. They started in a one room schoolhouse, now known as the Lucy Opry, until moving to a larger building in Memphis, Tennessee, and recorded one album. Throughout the years, Carl played in many different bands going on to record another album.
Carl worked for Memphis Press Scimitar, The Commercial Appeal, and Alco Gravure as a printing pressman throughout his lifetime until retirement.

When he and Shirley married in 1989, they resided in Memphis, Tennessee, until moving to Mountain View, Arkansas, in 1997. There they met Bill and Billie Beall while playing music around the court square every weekend. The four of them started a bluegrass band ''Blue Mountain Memories'' and recorded one CD.

Carl was also a proud 3rd Degree Master Mason since being raised on September 4, 1967.

Carl is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Shirley Collins; daughter, Kay Carol Bourgault and husband, Michael; grandchildren, Jessica Haskel and husband Justin, and Chris Zurhellen and wife Chrissy; four great-grandchildren, Leslie, Layne, Izzy, and Caleb; stepdaughter, Cindy Doss; three step-grandchildren, Dustin, Dylan, and JD; two brothers-in-law, Jerry Pafford and wife Tammie and Terry Pafford and wife Debbie.

Carl loved his family with all of this heart and will be greatly missed.

He will be cremated and Roller Coffman Crouch Funeral Home will be charge. Carl will be buried at Mountain View Historical Cemetery. No graveside service will be held. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

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