Emmanuel Gye Collins, Sr. was born February 22, 1931 in Sapele, Nigeria, West Africa to Thomas Bodio Collins and Elu Grace Keke Collins. On Sunday, August 16, 2020, at Oak Forest Health & Rehab in Winston-Salem, NC, Emmanuel departed this world for the place where there is no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.

He attended elementary schools in both Forcados and Lagos, Nigeria. When his father retired, he returned to Harper City, Liberia, where he continued his education at Cape Palmas High School. A few years later, the company he was working for transferred him to Monrovia, Liberia. There he registered in a pre-engineering program offered at the Liberian University Experimental High School, where he received a high school diploma.

By the grace of God, the U.S. Government offered him a scholarship to study Civil Engineering at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he met his first wife Esther Charlene Hardman Collins, who preceded him in death April 28, 2005. After receiving his Civil Engineering Degree in 1958, Emmanuel worked for the Liberian Government as a soils engineer and later with the New Jersey Highway Department as a construction engineer.

Led by the Holy Spirit, he left the engineering profession for the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, where he studied for the Episcopal priesthood from 1963 through 1966. He served as chaplain and teacher at Cuttington College in Suacoco, Liberia, West Africa and as pastor of St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Annapolis, Maryland; St. Augustine's Episcopal Church in Asbury Park, New Jersey; St. Anselm's Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee; St. Augustine Episcopal Church in Kakata, Liberia, West Africa; Christ Episcopal Church in Forrest City, Arkansas; St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. and Praise Assembly of God in Winston-Salem, N.C.

One of his accomplishments, while in high school, was learning to play music on his father's reed organ. For about two years he served as organist at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Monrovia, Liberia. He later learned to write music and composed more than 100 unpublished songs.

Emmanuel's parents; brothers, Peter Fere and Daniel Collins, MD; and sisters, Sabina Asagba and Annie Popoola preceded him in death. Those who remain are his wife Paula Eugenia Whittaker Collins, who faithfully and lovingly cared for him during his final years; his children, Grace (Grady) McRae, Emmanuel (Kay) Collins, Jr., PhD, Christopher Collins, and Tonya (Bruce) Moore; his sisters, Mary Thomas, Charlotte Bedell, and Annie Newton; his brother Thomas Bodio Collins, Jr., PhD; his grandchildren, Leah, Nathan (Christine), Lydia, Caleb, Tiye (Joshua), Micalah, Moriah, Micah and Konnor; great-grandson, Jeremiah; and other relatives and friends.

Yes, we will miss him, but we also rejoice knowing that we shall see him again some day.

A viewing will be held from 10:00am until 12noon Saturday, August 22, 2020 at Crestwood Baptist Church.

Private funeral services will be held Saturday, August 22, 2020. Entombment will be held in Piedmont Memorial Gardens.

Memorials may be made to Crestwood Baptist Church, 530 Motor Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105 or https://crestwood-baptist.com.