BY CAROLYN P. SMITH - News-Democrat
T.J. Collins, a former St. Clair County Jail superintendent, lost his battle with cancer Thursday. He was 68.
Collins, who died two days before his birthday, worked at the jail for several years.
St. Clair County Sheriff Mearl Justus described Collins as "very disciplined."
"And, he was noted for that toothpick. He always had a toothpick," Justus chuckled.
"He pretty much wore cowboy boots and they were always shined. He encouraged other people to keep their shoes shined and all of the other leather on his uniform," Justus said.
Justus said he knew Collins had prostate cancer but not much else about his medical condition. "He was a very private person," he said.
His wife, Markeetia Collins, said, "he loved to dress."
"He had really good taste. He wore lizard, alligator and ostrich boots, " she said.
Collins would've been 69 on Saturday.
"We were married almost 42 years. He was always fair even though sometimes he was a little grumpy," his wife said.
He also would do anything for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Masons or the Shriners. "He loved his clubs and organizations," Markeetia Collins said.
She said her husband was diagnosed with cancer in 1995 and had surgery in 1996. Collins had been undergoing chemotherapy since 2006.
Before coming to St. Clair County, Collins worked as a contractor for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department where he ran the city jail's boot camp.
Prior to that chapter in his life, Collins was in the Air Force for 30 years and retired as a chief master sergeant.
Capt. Steven Johnson, of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, worked closely with Collins. "As the chief investigator and he the superintendent of the jail, we worked together on a daily basis on many types of things."
"He was always a top notch professional in the way he handled jail issues. He brought military and service knowledge to jail operations. St. Clair County has certainly lost a tremendous asset and a very knowledgeable person," Johnson said.
Collins is survived by two children, Shan Collins and Sonja Collins-Fordson. He also leaves behind six grandaughters.
A visitation for Collins is from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday at Hope Church in Belleville. The funeral is at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hope Church, near Memorial Hospital.
