Dennis Gawtry Collins

NORFOLK — Dennis Gawtry Collins, 79, of Norfolk, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, died unexpectedly on March 15, 2014. Born April 3, 1934, in New York City to Frances (Fisher) and Hugh Gawtry Collins, Dennis was raised in Millbrook, N.Y. He attended Millbrook School (1952) and Cornell University (1959), with an interval serving as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. At age 15, he met and fell in love with Pamela Reynolds Bedell, and they were married on Feb. 24, 1956. Dennis and Pam settled in Norfolk, where they raised their family, and he pursued a career in the insurance industry. A passionate outdoorsman and conservationist, Dennis made a successful mid-career transition to professional land management, serving as executive director of the Berks County Conservancy and then as director of Land Preservation for the Wildlands Conservancy in Pennsylvania. After retiring in 2003 and returning to Norfolk, he continued to serve on advisory boards for local land trusts and conservation organizations, and received many awards and recognitions for his decades of leadership in promoting a regional approach to land protection.Among his diverse interests, Dennis enjoyed exploring, hiking, birding, racecars, travel, folk music, history, puzzles, wordplay, and all things Scottish, but most precious to him was family. A warm and engaging man, his compassionate, kind nature was apparent to everyone who knew him. Many sought his counsel, and he shared his wisdom generously, with honesty and humility.Along with his wife, Pam, Dennis will be sorely missed by his children, Keith Collins of Barkhamsted and his wife, Lori, Laura Gittleman of Santa Rosa, Calif., and her husband, George, and Blair Collins of Oakland, Calif., and his wife, Jenny; his sister, Anne Collins of Hanover, N.H.; his brothers, Farnham Collins and his wife, Anne, and Anthony Collins and his wife, Paula, all of Millbrook; his grandchildren, Ryan and Melanie Collins and Sophia and Levi Gittleman; and numerous nieces, nephews and dear friends.Services will be held at Norfolk Church of Christ Congregational on Saturday, March 22, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Norfolk Land Trust, PO Box 363, Norfolk, CT, 06058 or the Land Trust Alliance, c/o Megan Taaffe, 1660 L Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036. Go to www.vincentfuneralhome.com to leave an online condolence.