05/29/2026
Dr. Michael P. Collins
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death on May 26, 2026, of Dr. Michael P. Collins. Dr. Collins passed away peacefully, wife Carolyn by his side, at French Manor Terra in Traverse City.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska on March 2, 1943, Michael grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As a High School student at South Side High School “Mike” excelled in academics and music. He was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, and he was selected to perform the Haydn Trumpet Concerto with The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra. It was also in High School orchestra in Fort Wayne where Mike met the love of his life, Carolyn DeVore, whom he subsequently married in 1965. Upon graduation from South Side High School in 1961, Mike attended Earlham College in Richmond Indiana, where he earned his BA in Biology in 1964.
Medical School at the University of Michigan was Michael’s next stop, and he earned his medical degree there in 1968. Michael and his wife, Carolyn, then spent one year in Traverse City for Michael’s rotating internship. They fell in love with the Grand Traverse region and resolved to return one day to live in Traverse City. A residency specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor followed, and then in 1973 Michael, Carolyn, and their two young children relocated to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Major Dr. Collins proudly served his country as an Army OBGYN doctor at Fort Bragg’s Womack Hospital. Upon completion of his Army service, Dr. Michael P. Collins was offered a partnership in a prominent Traverse City OBGYN practice, and the Collins family moved back to Traverse City for good in 1975.
Dr. Collins spent 18 years practicing Obstetrics and Gynecology in Traverse City, delivering hundreds of babies into the world and providing the highest quality medical care to countless area women. His urge to more completely serve his community served as the impetus to quit his medical practice in 1993 and assume the position of Medical Director of the Department of Health in Grand Traverse County, as well as the same position in Benzie/Leelanau Department of Health. Simultaneous to holding these positions, Dr. Collins earned his MS degree in Epidemiology from the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University in 1997. In the fall of 1997, and for several more years, Dr. Collins was an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University, driving back and forth to Lansing, all the while fulfilling his duties as the Medical Director of the Departments of Health in Grand Traverse, Benzie, and Leelanau Counties.
Dr. Collins provided steady leadership in his role as Grand Traverse Health Department Medical Director for 28 years from 1993 to October2021. His knowledge and assured guidance were never more needed than during the Covid pandemic. Dr. Collins served the Grand Traverse County area admirably through the majority of the crisis, steering the Health Department’s pandemic response with skill and calm integrity.
Michael will be remembered and cherished by family and friends as a compassionate, modest, and deeply moral person with many eclectic interests and a unique brand of humor. He was a devoted father and grandfather and treasured the many dogs who were a part of his family over the years. As a connoisseur of multiple genres of music, Michael played the trumpet in the NMC Community Band for several seasons and was a devoted listener to Interlochen Public Radio. He was a voracious reader and enjoyed nature photography, going on many travel adventures with his family. Other interests included stamp collecting, rose gardening, cooking, bread baking, running, cross country skiing, and juggling. Michael was happiest being outdoors and especially loved daily walks with his canine buddies.
Dr. Michael Peter Collins is survived by his devoted wife of nearly 61 years, Carolyn (DeVore), daughter Kathleen Collins (Jonathan Fields),sons Richard and Andrew Collins, daughter Tamara Collins, grandchildren Carter, Connor, Maya, Jericho, Daniel, Caden, and Matthew. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Mildred (Harwood) Collins, son Christopher Michael Collins, and daughter Deborah Michelle Collins. A special Thank You to the superb staff at French Manor Terra for the compassionate, excellent and tireless care that was given to Michael in his final months. A small family memorial service will take place later this summer.
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