Michael L. Collins

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In Remembrance
Photos: Michael & Lissa
Photos: Friends & Family
Photos of Michael
Photos: Early Years
Prayer Card
Items of Remembrance
The National 9/11 Flag Restoration Tour
Memorial Program
Age:
38
Place of Residence:
Montclair, NJ
Location on 9/11:
One WTC
Michael L. Collins
Occupation:
Cantor Fitzgerald | Manager
Dedicated Memorial Sites:
New Jersey Living Memorial, A Grove of Remembrance
SUNY Oswego 9/11 Memorial
Empty Sky: NJ State 9/11 Memorial
Conseleya 9/11 Memorial
Dewitt 9/11 Memorial
Montclair State University 9/11 Memorial
East Newark 9/11 Memorial
Fair Haven 9/11 Memorial
Freehold Township 9/11 Living Memorial Tree Grove
Crescent Beach Park - Flagpole/Memorial for 9/11 Victims
Reflections:
The New York Times Portraits of Grief
Biography:

From the words of Michael Collins' family shortly after his death to postings on Internet message boards memorializing his life, the sentiments of Collins' loved ones paint a portrait of an outgoing, kindhearted family man who is still dearly missed.

He was the "nicest guy you ever met," Richard Collins said of his brother, Michael, in October 2001, a month after he died in the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

"I miss you so much even though we lived a continent apart," James Garfield of California wrote in 2008 on Legacy.com, a site dedicated to 9/11 victims. "You were my beloved Godson."

Michael Collins, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald for 15 years and died at 38, grew up in Irvington with parents James and Mary Collins, Richard Collins and a sister, Nancy Kasak. He moved to Montclair, N.J., before his marriage in 1997.

Michael Collins suffered from diabetes but was active outdoors, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and rock climbing. His wife, Lissa, who said she and her family did not wish to be interviewed for this article, regularly attends annual memorial services for 9/11 victims in Montclair.

"It's very special that people take the time out" to attend the service," she told The Montclair Times on Sept. 11 last year. "It's important that people remember."

- Dwight R. Worley