Catherine A. “Kay” Collins
...former secretary at Tewksbury’s Dewing School; 87
TEWKSBURY - Catherine A. “Kay” (Harhen) Collins, age 87, a resident of Tewksbury for more
than five decades, died Thursday, Aug. 18, at her Tewksbury home, after a lengthy illness. She
was the wife of Edward J. Collins Sr., who died in 1992.
She was born in Cambridge, on November 22, 1917, a daughter of the late Francis and Bridget
(Brennan) Harhen. She was raised in Somerville, but had lived in Tewksbury since 1953.
Until retiring in 1979, she worked as a secretary at the Loella F. Dewing School in North
Tewksbury. In her retirement, she served as a volunteer at the Tewksbury Hospital.
She was an active parishioner at St. William’s Church, and was a member of St. William’s
Sodality. In her later years, she was an active member of the Tewksbury Senior Drop-In Center,
and held membership in the Tewksbury Golden Age Club. She was described by her children as
having devoted her life to her family and will lovingly remembered.
She is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Edward J. Collins Jr. of Tewksbury, James M.
Collins and his wife Nancy of Ashland, Brian R. Collins and his wife Ann of Nashua, NH; a
daughter and son-in-law, Joanne Longo and her husband John of Sudbury; two sisters and a
brother-in-law, Madeline O’Hearn of Tewksbury, Mary McInnis and her husband Donald of
Stuart, Fla; a brother and sister-in-law, Robert Harhen and his wife Pauline of Boxford and Fla.;
eight grandchildren, Lynne (Collins) Wyckoff of Fla., Michelle (Collins) Hills, and Lisa Collins of
Pepperell, Beth (Longo) Hughes of Uxbridge, Trisha Longo, Meaghan (Longo) Lewis both of
Sudbury, Christopher Judson of Tyngsboro, Robert Judson of Nashua, NH; and four great
grandchildren, Cali, Jordan, Lily and Natalie.
She was also sister of the late Joseph Harhen.
Her Funeral Mass was held Monday, Aug. 22, in St. William’s Church, Tewksbury. Interment was
at Tewksbury Cemetery. Memorials to the Tewksbury Sr. Drop-In Center Building Fund, 175
Chandler St. Tewksbury, MA 01876 or the Merrimack Valley Hospice, 360 Merrimack St., Bldg.
9, Lawrence, MA 01843, will be appreciated.