Burlington/Montpelier, VT Marion A. (Burke) Collins, a native of Montpelier, died at Birchwood Terrace on November 30, 2008. Born in Montpelier, VT May 25, 1912, she was the eldest daughter of Patrick J. And Emily B. (Smith) Burke. She attended Montpelier Public Schools. Her mother died unexpectedly when Marion was in her teens necessitating her withdrawal from high school to care for her two younger brothers until they were established in grade school. She completed a Secretarial Course at Montpelier Seminary (Vermont College)(1930) and from Montpelier High School (1933). She married Charles L. Collins, Sr. in Whitehall, NY, November 15, 1932. They traveled to Majorca, Spain, Hawaii and throughout Maine and the Maritimes in their early retirement years. He predeceased her January 9, 1993. Marion retired from National Life Insurance of Vermont in 1977 after 31 years in the Actuary department. Her memberships and service to the community include the Montpelier American Legion Auxiliary (Chaplain and State Representative); Montpelier BPOE Emblem Club (Vice-President); City of Montpelier HUD committee (Vice Chair); Montpelier Senior Citizen Center (1983 Senior of the year); Montpelier Quilting Guild and the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild. She attended Green Mountain Rug Hooking School (VT Technical College) from 1981-1986, 1996. She participated in weekly rug hooking group sessions in Barre and, until recently, Richmond, VT. An accomplished artisan, she exhibited at the Montpelier Senior Citizen Center, The Joslyn Round Barn, Waitsfield; The Mill, Jericho; The Green Mountain Rug Hooking School, Randolph; and the annual Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild Show, Round Barn-Shelburne Museum. In the mid eighties her expertise in quilting earned the Best in Show and her rug hooking Best in Category and Best in Show at the Governor's Picnic Exhibit in the Pavilion, Montpelier (1986-88). It has been said that it is important to use ones talents but it is equally important to leave something of yourself- and, she has. Perhaps it was her premature birth, coupled with her Irish/Welch/Vermont heritage, that made her feisty from the start and a person with indomitable spirit and inner drive. Her legacy to each of us, no matter our gender: to work hard; to be sensitive to those needing a helping hand; to embrace difference, in thought , race, belief, and culture; to be of independent mind; to never cease learning; to maintain high ethical standards; and to never be afraid to travel a different path. Survivors include two daughters, a son and their spouses: Lois and Barry Jordan, Leesburg, FL; Marlene and Louis Provost, Winooski; and Charles and Jeanne (Tanner) Collins, Tucson, AZ. Twelve grandchildren, their spouses and twenty great-grandchildren: Jennifer Jordan, Port St. Lucie, FL and Jessica Jordan, Chandler, AZ; Craig Provost, Morrisville/Lake Elmore, sons Keith and Keenan Provost, Winooski; Kris and Maureen (Murray) Provost, children Caela, Cameron, Marcus and Aidan, Winchendon, MA; Kurt and Jacqueline (Gilbert) Provost, children Daniel and Even Hansen, Mitchell and Sophie Provost, Sheldon; and Karyl Provost, daughter Lauren Gilman, Concord, NH; Lynn (Collins) and Jay White Cloud, son Sage, Thetford; Pamela (Collins) and Jay Mullen, children Colin, Aaron, Alys and Kennedy, Wilder; Stephanie (Collins) and Robin Hood, children Benjamin and Rachel Hiromura, Ipswich, MA; Karen (Collins) and Javier Arrieta, daughters Genavieve and Renee, Tuscon, AZ; Shawn Tanner, Burlington and Jason Tanner, Hagerstown, MD. Additionally, she is survived by two sisters-in-law, Ruth (Hodgess) Burke, Ayer, MA and Rena (Medlar) Burke, Essex Center; many nieces and nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews; special friends Jeanne and Leon Boucher, East Montpelier; Bobbi Pond, Burlington, her fellow "Hookers" in the Guild, the Barre and Richmond groups. Besides her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her sister, Catherine Burke, brothers and in laws: Bernard and Florence (Lewis) Burke, Percy (Bob) Burke, James and Phyllis (Nedham) Burke, H. Douglas Burke; Frederick and Kitty Collins, Henry and Beth Collins, Marian (Collins) and Bert Gauthier, Doris (Collins) Upham and grandson-in-law, Charles Gilman. The family is indebted to the staff at The Converse Home, Starr Farm, VNA-PT, Birchwood Terrace, and Hospice of the Champlain Valley; to Dawn Langlois, Jeanette Moy and Drs. Plante, Karp, Weissgold and Guerra for their love, care and support of Mom and the family. It truly takes a village. A celebration of Marion's life and a committal service in Green Mount Cemetery will be held at the convenience of the family at a later date. Arrangements are in the care of Guare & Sons Funeral Home, 30 School Street, Montpelier. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641 or to a charity of ones choice.