ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine System (UMS) is mourning the loss of Patricia Collins, of Caribou, who died Tuesday at the age of 96.
Collins has been closely connected to Maine’s public universities for more than 75 years, having come to Maine from her native New York to attend the University of Maine (UMaine), from which she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1949. It was at the System’s flagship that she met, fell in love and married the man who would become her husband of 70 years, Don, who also graduated in 1949.
A lifelong learner, Collins also earned a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) in 1986.
In 1987, Collins joined the UMS Board of Trustees, serving two five-year terms. In recognition of her tremendous leadership, in 1991 she was chosen by her colleagues on the Board to be Chair, and was re-elected to that role two times.
“Pat’s love for the University of Maine System was surpassed only by her love for her family and for the Caribou community. She was quite a lady, and Maine’s public universities are all the better for her leadership and service,” said UMS Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “Her tenure on the Board of Trustees and her fierce advocacy for public higher education throughout her lifetime of public service helped make our System what it is today and will continue to positively impact students in Maine far into the future. Our entire university community extends our condolences and prayers to the Collins family and all of Aroostook County as we mourn Pat and recommit ourselves to serving others in her memory.”
Even after terming-off the Board, Collins continued contributing to UMS, including as a donor to support student scholarships and by volunteering on UMPI’s advisory Board of Visitors. In 2001, that Aroostook County public university presented her with an honorary degree at a graduation ceremony for which her daughter, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, was commencement speaker. Portraits painted by Pat Collins of four UMPI presidents are now displayed on the campus.
In 2018, UMaine’s Alumni Association bestowed its Fogler Legacy Award on the family of Pat and Don Collins. That award honors a family that has three generations of Black Bears and at least two family members with a record of outstanding service to the university, their community or profession.
Collins’ son, Sam, chaired the UMS Board of Trustees from 2013-2017 and Sen. Collins has been a champion for the System in Congress.
“I knew and admired Pat Collins as a trailblazer who broke glass ceilings for women, raising six children while leading in the community and continuing her own postsecondary education,” said UMS Board of Trustees Chair Trish Riley. “As chair of the System’s Board of Trustees, she set a high standard for all who followed, including her son, Sam. Like the many beautiful works she painted, her legacy endures and UMS joins the chorus of gratitude for her many contributions and service.”
Collins was a regular presence on the UMPI campus, where she will be especially missed. “The University of Maine at Presque Isle community is deeply saddened at the passing of Pat Collins, who is one of our most distinguished alumni,” said UMPI President Ray Rice. “Pat Collins was a force in our community, and left her mark in so many important ways. Her love of community, dedication to the arts and spirit of service will be long remembered. She truly embodied UMPI’s motto ‘North of Ordinary.’”
UMS Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy added, “We at the University of Maine are saddened by the death of our amazing alumna, mathematics major Patricia McGuigan Collins, Class of 1949. Her devotion to her family and her extraordinary public service in Maine are an inspiration for us all.”
Contact: Samantha Warren, University of Maine System Director of External Affairs, 207-632-0389, samantha.warren@maine.edu
About the University of Maine System
Established in 1968, the University of Maine System (UMS) unites seven Maine’s distinctive public universities, comprising 10 campuses and numerous centers, in the common purpose of providing quality higher education while delivering on its traditional tripartite mission of teaching, research, and public service.
In 2020 UMS became the first and only statewide enterprise of public higher education in the country to transition to a unified accreditation for the system. Much different than a merger or consolidation, unified accreditation is a new operating model for the University of Maine System that removes the primary barrier to inter-institutional collaboration.
A comprehensive public institution of higher education, UMS serves more than 30,000 students annually and is supported by the efforts of more than 2,000 full-time and part-time faculty, more than 3,000 regular full-time and part-time staff, and a complement of part-time temporary (adjunct) faculty.
Reaching more than 500,000 people annually through educational and cultural offerings, the University of Maine System also benefits from more than two-thirds of its alumni population residing within the state; more than 123,000 individuals.
The System consists of seven main campuses: The University of Maine (UMaine), including its regional campus the University of Maine at Machias (UMaine Machias); the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA); the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF); the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK), the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI); and the University of Southern Maine (USM). The System also includes a UMA campus in Bangor, USM campuses in Gorham and Lewiston-Auburn, the University of Maine School of Law, and the University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center.