Jackson Rosse Collins, Jr.

Jackson Rosse Collins, Jr., of Centreville, MD, died after a long illness on Wednesday, April 30, 2008. He was 73. Rosse was born in New York City, son of Elizabeth Bodine and Jackson R. Collins. After graduating from Montclair High School, New Jersey, where he grew up, he attended Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ, and graduated from Washington & Lee University with a bachelor’s degree. After ROTC in college, he was sent to France and was assigned as Property Book Officer for the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps located in the National Forest of Trois Fontaines in Eastern France. There he met Therese Cieslak during his assignment, and they were married in 1960. In addition to his wife of 48 years, Therese, Rosse is also survived by a sister, Ethel Collins Gates of Chestertown; a brother-in-law, Loring Hawes of Centreville, MD; sisters in law, Annie Cieslak of Wilmington, DE, Danielle Raganelli of Paris, France, Alexandrine Porada of Troyes, France; brothers-in-law, Zygmont Cieslak of Nantes, France; and Stanislas Cieslak of Strasbourg, France. He is also survived by a very dear aunt, Gertrude Bodine of Ocean City, NJ, and a number of wonderful nephews and nieces and cousins. Another sister, Ann Hawes, died in February 2008. Rosse practiced public accounting during his career in Wilmington, DE. When he and Therese retired to the old family farm ‘Chestnut Hill’ outside Centreville in 1993, he became a farmer and that was his favorite career. He just loved the farm and had spent many summers there during his youth. He and Therese renovated the old farmhouse dated 1871 which had been the home of his great grandfather, Andrew Jackson Collins and his wife, Sarah Rosse Webster and grandfather, Zadoc Rosse Collins and his wife, Ann Elizabeth Downes. Rosse sat on the boards of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, Camp Wright in Stevensville, the Queen Anne’s County Historical Society, and the Centreville Rotary where he served as president in 2000-2001. He volunteered many hours for these organizations, mainly in the fiscal area. He was also a Son of the American Revolution. A funeral church service at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, 2008, will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Centreville where family and friends are invited. There will be a reception following the service in the church’s hall. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Building Fund, P.O..Box 278, Centreville, MD 21617 or to Camp Wright, c/o St. Paul’s or your favorite charity.

Jackson Rosse Collins, Jr.

June 28, 1934 - April 30, 2008