Former Hoffman Estates village trustee Cary Collins dies at 78

Former Hoffman Estates village trustee and park district commissioner Cary Collins died the day after Christmas at the age of 78, a month after his wife Sue passed away.

The couple had made their longtime vacation home on North Twin Lake in Phelps, Wisconsin, their permanent residence after leaving Hoffman Estates.

Collins was elected to two terms on the Hoffman Estates village board before resigning in November 2010, about six months before the end of his second term. He cited a strong belief in limiting officials’ consecutive terms, but ran again unsuccessfully in 2015.

The oldest of six children, Collins practiced law for nearly 50 years. After working for a couple of other law firms in Chicago, he opened his own firm in Hoffman Estates.

While still in law school in 1975, he met his future wife Sue O’Drobinak during a ski trip to Colorado.

During his time on the village board, Collins also was involved with the parks and recreation board and the police and fire commission.

Though practicing in diverse areas of law, his demonstrated passion was in assisting and advising police officers and firefighters.

Collins created the Illinois Public Pension Advisory Committee to educate pension board trustees and volunteered his time to explain pension law and help first-responders understand their rights and responsibilities.

He is survived by brother Tim of Genessee, Colorado, sister Cathy of Montezuma, Indiana, and sister Libby of Elm Grove, Wisconsin. Beyond other family, he also leaves behind his beloved dogs Boots and Daisy and his close friend Mickey Walker of Elgin.

A Mass is set for St. Mary’s Parish in Phelps, Wisconsin, on Friday.

A visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral service Wednesday, Jan. 7 at Burns Funeral Home & Crematory, 10101 Broadway in Crown Point, Indiana. Interment will be at St. John/St. Joseph Cemetery in Hammond, Indiana.

For more details about services, visit burnsfuneral.com.