Dr. Hammond C. Collins

Dr. Hammond Charles Collins died at his Hingham home on January 9, 2013, surrounded by his family, following a brief but valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.

The son of the late John Francis Collins and Gertrude Fitzsimmons, he was born in Boston on April 29, 1940, and raised with his three siblings in Milton.

After graduating from Boston College High School in 1957, he earned a degree in biology from Boston College in 1961. He then attended the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. In 1966, he returned to Boston with his MD and began his internship and residency at Tufts Medical Center, where he developed a specialty in orthopedic surgery.  Dr. Collins interrupted his residency in 1969 to serve as Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam.  He married Kathleen Sullivan in July of 1982 and settled in Longmeadow. Dr. Collins worked in private practice for nearly 30 years in Springfield, and was on staff at Mercy Hospital in Springfield and Noble Hospital in Westfield. In 1997, he moved with his family to Hingham.  Dr. Collins loved to travel, and loved his ancestral Ireland. He, together with his wife and children, combined the two with frequent vacations to their second home in County Clare. He also enjoyed reading, particularly about history and science, working in his yard, listening to classical music, and spending time with family and friends.

In addition to his beloved wife Kathleen, Dr. Collins leaves his son, Christopher John, a junior at Boston College, and his daughter, Caroline Ann, a freshman at Providence College. He also leaves his brother, John F. Collins of New Hampshire, formerly of Milton, his two sisters, Ann and Trudy Collins, both of Milton, and many nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Friday 4-8 PM in the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), HINGHAM. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9:15 AM on Saturday prior to the Funeral Mass in Church of the Resurrection, Hingham at 10 AM. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701