Henry Collier, Jr.

If you are reading this now I must already be dead. You will have to look elsewhere to find out when I died. I really wasn’t ready to go but my faith was strong so I left it in the hands of God, and he is definitely in charge. He has been good to me all my life and I respect His call. I was having fun and still had some stories I never did get to tell. Oh well, that wasn’t important. Besides you may have already heard them.

I was lucky to have a bunch of great friends and even many more whom have gone on ahead. I look forward to seeing them again, especially my mom and dad, (Ethel Hall Collier and Henry Davis Collier, Sr.) I was born in Tifton, Georgia on June 10, 1932 and grew up there. It was a great place to start life. That was back when people didn’t lock their doors and left the keys in the car and gasoline was 15 cents a gallon. I was a Boy Scout and made Eagle Scout at age 14. I graduated from Tifton High School and graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institution, now Auburn University -- WAR EAGLE!! I was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. My freshman year our football team was awful. They went 0-10. In the spring when the Orange team played the Blue team they tied 10-10. They couldn’t win even when they played themselves. I was honored to serve on the Auburn University National Alumni Board, was President of the Tampa Auburn Club and the Jacksonville Auburn Club.

After graduation from Auburn I served in the Army Signal Corp where I taught electronics and radio repair. After my army service was finished I was employed by Burroughs Corp. for 20 years and was the Tampa Branch Manager. While still in Tampa the Jaycees named me “Boss of the Year”. There must have been a shortage of good bosses that year. I was active in the Education Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Tampa, the advisory board of the Technical, Adult and Vocational Education Committee and the Tampa Bay Arts Center.

I left Burroughs to join Lewis Business Products as General Sales Manager in Jacksonville. I later went with Kidder Peabody, an investment firm, which was bought out by Merrill Lynch and I was with them for 23 years.

I was a member of Riverside Presbyterian Church and I was honored to serve as a Deacon, a Trustee, and an Elder and served on the board of Riverside Tradition House and the Board of the Riverside Residences. I also served on the board for Learn to Read. Where I really had a blast was serving on the Board of Trustees of Florida Community College at Jacksonville and as President of the Foundation. I was President of the Rotary Club of West Jacksonville, a Paul Harris Fellow, and have been a Rotarian for more than 47 years.

I was married to Franzle Baker Meza and we had two children: Karen Parker (Rusty) and Kenneth Davis Collier (Caroline). I married Glenda Wright Collier whom I love dearly and who nursed me through several big hospital episodes and I can never say enough about Glenda except, I love you. She has two children, Kelly Warner (Robert) and Tommy Warner (Lisa). We have eight grandchildren; Jordan Parker Flanagan (Ethan), Jeff Parker, Dr. Amanda Collier Moseley (Ryan), Robert Davis Collier (Paige), Rebecca Warner, Dakotah Warner, Hunter Warner, and Colby Warner. We have 4 greats: Lottie, Luke, and Andy Flanagan, and Reid Davis Moseley, as of now, who knows what the future will bring. I love them all.

I must add my Friday Morning Breakfast Group, Ron Roberts, Bill Scheu, and Alton Yates. We had breakfast together for over 30 years and I loved them like brothers.

I hope there will be a Memorial Service at the Riverside Presbyterian Church 849 Park Street and a reception after where you will get the best funeral food in town. I don’t know when it will be held so you will have to find out somewhere else. I am sorry I won’t be there but that would spoil all the fun.

Well, remember me if you can and I will see you on the other side. I hope it won’t be too soon for you.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Riverside Presbyterian Church or Rotary Foundation.

Henry Davis Collier Jr., age 90, of Jacksonville, FL passed away April 10, 2023. Crevasse's Simple Cremation is honored to serve the Collier family.