THOMAS COLLINS

A short life lived to the fullest
July 8, 1965 - September 11, 2001

Thomas Joseph Collins was born on July 8, 1965 to Tom & Dottie Collins of Dix Hills, New York. He grew up in Dix Hills, and graduated from Half Hollow Hills High School East in 1983. Tom was a graduate of Ithaca College, where he started as an attack-man on the varsity lacrosse team. He continued on the lacrosse team throughout his college years. After graduation in 1987, he worked with First Albany before joining Sandler O'Neill in 1988. With an electric smile and always a quick joke, Tom lived life to the fullest. He packed his 36 years full of activity, never wasting a single moment; he was an avid boater, golfer and sportsman. Tom, a managing director of Sandler O'Neill and Partners, was among those who died tragically in the terrorist attack on September 11th. His death is made especially ironic in that he was a survivor of the attack on the WTC that took place in 1993. Tom is survived by his wife, Julia; his father, Thomas, his mother, Dorothy, his sisters, Colleen and Jennifer, and his brother, Tim.