Debra L. (Young) Collins, 64, of Blackstone, passed away on Friday, December 11, 2020 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Born in Natick on December 3, 1956, she was the daughter of the late Kenneth E. and Alice (Davey) Young. She grew up in Franklin, MA, graduated from Franklin High School. She truly cared about people. That’s why she became a nurse. It’s something she “felt called to do.” She attended Framingham Union School of Nursing and spent her life caring for others & putting the needs of others before her own.
Throughout her life, Deb worked in every facet of healthcare you can imagine. She worked in many different hospital units, including the ICU, recovery room, and operating room, and at numerous facilities, including Kent County in Warwick, RI. She was the nurse manager of the Oncology Department at Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Maine. Most recently, Deb worked as a nurse care manager for Tufts Health Plan where she cared for those undergoing cancer treatment, and made sure they had everything they needed.
Deb was a talented artist and enjoyed the numerous art classes she took, as well as the various mediums she used to create her works of art - watercolor, pastels, and much more. She loved painting and gifting Christmas ornaments, cooking her famous blueberry jam, gardening, collecting pig figurines and caring for her little dog, Tillie.
She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth “Liz” Collins & her husband Erik Consigli of Blackstone. She’s also survived by siblings, Sandra Cummings (husband, Bob) of Wrentham, Michael Young (wife, Tanya) of Blackstone, sister-in-law Pam Young, and many nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Mark Young.
Deb was a resident of Blackstone for the past 14 years and formerly resided in Central Maine and Exeter, Rhode Island.
When asked how she wanted to be remembered, she said: “My family and friends meant everything to me. My heart was always filled with love and I was grateful for every day that I had.”
Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours on Friday, December 18 from 4 – 7 p.m. in the Ginley Funeral Home of Franklin, 131 Main Street in Franklin www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com . Please follow all required Covid-19 guidelines, including face coverings and social distancing.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Deb’s memory to: American Cancer Society