Although I knew he had health issues, I was stunned and saddened to hear of Chris Collins’s passing. It’s hard to imagine Greenfield without him as he was a major and consistent force in its cultural landscape. I always looked forward to his Friday “In the Arena” column in the Recorder and, like many, although I might have disagreed with him, respected his intelligence and integrity. Collins represented a bygone age of journalism when such attributes mattered. He was direct and opinionated but never descended to deliberate dishonesty, cruelty or cheap shots. His love and dedication for the best in Greenfield and for Greenfield was never in doubt.
My connection with him was primarily through his Facebook postings where he had a lively coterie of participants from both the Right and the Left. He would periodically toss out a controversial issue for us to focus on, a literary equivalent of tossing chum in the water for the sharks to attack. And attack we did, quite fiercely but never viciously.
But as his illness progressed, Collins turned away from politics and dedicated his postings more towards the love he felt for his wife, Barbara and dog, Jack. I found it quite touching and although I missed the political sparring, was reminded of just what matters in the end. Like Irmarie Jones, another great loss for Greenfield and the Recorder newspaper, I hope his memory is honored and used as an example on how we should communicate and respectfully interact with each other. He will be greatly missed.
Daniel A. Brown
Arroyo Seco, New Mexico