Obituary for Edith (Ann) Collins

November 27^th, 1925 to April 11^th, 2021

 

Loving mother to Karren Hamm of Niagara Falls, NY; the late Deborah Ratz of Mississauga, Ontario; and Dianne Thompson of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Cherished grandmother to Victoria Hamm, Margaret (Jonathon) Yu, Christina (Christopher) Benner, Elizabeth (Neal) Baker, Phillip (Dani) Oliver, Paul (Connie) Oliver, Andrew (Lora) Oliver.

Beloved great grandmother to Zane, Asher, Maxwell, Madisyn, Jaylane, Nolen, Rylan, Mia, Matteo, Romeo, Phoenix, Heavenly.

Ann was born in 1925 in Nottingham, England. Her parents were Willian Payne and Alice May Wilson. She had one older brother named Bill Payne. At 16 years of age, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service of the British Army, as England was at war with Germany. She was a courier of secret document to the military. She met a Canadian soldier named Wesley Hammond and was married to him in 1945. They moved to Canada after the war was over and had their 3 daughters. They were married for 30 yrs. She had many office administrator jobs during her years in Canada and was a faithful member of Queensway Cathedral since 1955.

In 1979 she met and married Roy H. Collins from New Zealand, they lived there for many years. She was stepmother to 4 of Roy’s adult children, Jack, Ruth, David, and Janet. As well as being step grandma to many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Roy and Ann ministered all over the world with the Full Gospel Businessman’s association and spoke at many, many churches over the years until Roy’s death in 2003. Ann returned to Canada to be near her family and returned to ministry back at Queensway with the Seniors. She made a lot of good friends and reconnected with old ones. She taught Bible studies until she was 90 years old and was a prayer warrior for everyone in her life.

In May 2019 due to age and health conditions she moved to Sunnybrook Veterans Center and made her impact there with all the residence and staff. She would preach at the Protestant service once a month and was called upon during the Remembrance Day ceremonies to say a poem and display her metals of honor. She did art and music as well which they all enjoyed. In her last year she wrote a memoir of her life for the family and this will be something we can cherish going forward.

Ann loved people, praying with people, encouraging people, and helping people in any way she could. She will be missed, but we will meet again – Until Then.