Hudson Clayton Collins

Graveside services for Hudson Clayton Collins, 94, of Tyler will be held on Monday, January 25, 2016, at 10:00 AM at Tyler Memorial Park Cemetery in Tyler with Dr. Paul Powell officiating, under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mr. Collins passed away Friday, January 22, 2016 in Tyler. He was born October 3, 1921 in Tyler to Thomas Clayton and Mary Foshee Collins. Attended Dixie Grammar and High Schools and graduated from Tyler High School in 1940. Hudson joined the Army of the United States October 15, 1942, and was given an Honorable Discharge April 27, 1943 for medical reasons. He then traveled to San Antonio Air Depot, Duncan Field, Texas and completed over 1300 hours of training to become a radio mechanic. He spent the duration of WWII in San Antonio, working as a civilian on the radios in aircraft that traveled as far as China to help win the war. After the War, he returned to Tyler and attended Tyler Commercial College and graduated with a General Radio certificate in January, 1948. On June 8, 1948, Hudson married Avinell Rose. Hudson worked in radio repair shops and then at radio station KGKB where he and Avinell lived. The story goes that well after the midnight sign-off one night the phone rang, waking them up. The woman on the other end announced that she had just bought KGKB and would bring her own engineer to run the station! They discussed the time-line, Hudson thanked her for letting him know as he would need time to find another job, and went back to bed. Later that night the lady called back and said he’d been so nice she thought she’d keep him if he wanted the job! That was Lucille Buford, and a few years later she decided Hudson was going to build her a TV station – the first one in all of East Texas. When KLTV went from black and white to full color, Avinell reported that in one week he slept less than 8 hours and that was while sitting in his chair, waiting for her to prepare various meals. She also said his hair went from black to white during the black-and-white to color transition! Hudson retired from Buford Broadcasting when he turned 65, but he only slowed down for a few days. Next was Tyler Junior College and studying computers. He also worked in construction for a while to help a friend. He never stopped working and he loved to fix things. When told the doctors couldn’t fix him, he said, “Well, I’m sorry for the mess I’m leaving . . . tell the preacher I still love the Lord.” The mess was the good stuff he’d collected all his life so he’d have material to fix things. (Since everything in heaven is perfect, I wonder what he’ll do.) Hudson loved car races of all kinds, Amateur Radio, camping, fishing, playing cards and dominoes. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Avinell Collins. He is survived by his loving family including sons, Hal Collins and wife Brenda of Arlington and Carl Collins and wife Valerie of Tyler; grandchildren, Chris Collins of Tyler, Paige Jones and husband Jonathan of Bullard and Daedra Burchfield and husband Greg of Flower Mound; great-grandchildren, Lexi, Cayley, Mason and Maggye, Hudsons’ sister, Buelah Mae Fordham of Brenham and niece, Mary Sue Longhoffer and husband Eddie of Brenham. Honorary pallbearers will be Dave Baxter, Johnny Glenn, Butch Adair, James Finch, Perry Davis and Jim Brandon. Visitation is scheduled from 4:00 to 6:00 PM on Sunday, January 24, 2016 at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Highway, in Tyler. If desired, memorials may be made to The Hospice of East Texas Foundation, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler 75701.

Hudson Clayton Collins

October 3, 1921 - January 22, 2016