Joseph "Joe" Henry Collins, 91 of Woodstock, Virginia passed away December 20, 2022, at his home with his wife, Ellen Collins and daughter, Susan Collins, at his side.

A celebration mass at Saint John Bosco Catholic Church, Woodstock, Virginia is January 28, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. with a reception following at Saint John Bosco Hanley Hall.

To honor Joseph's wish, he will return home to Tarentum, Pennsylvania with a funeral mass at Saint Margaret Mary's Catholic Church in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, Military Honors and burial at Our Lady of Hope, Tarentum, Pennsylvania. The arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Joseph was born October 9, 1931, in Tarentum, Pennsylvania. Joe said, "I was one of a fortunate few who lived his boyhood dream." Joe had an intense interest in airplanes. When he graduated from high school Joe enlisted in the United States Air Force (USAF) and was recruited for the Aviation Cadet Program. The Aviation Cadet Program allowed non-college graduates to gain their commission as pilots, navigators, and bombardiers. Joseph was commission as a Navigator Bombardier and was assigned to the 95 th Bomb Squadron, K-9 Airbase, where he flew the Douglas B-26 Invader and served in the Korean War. Joe was also stationed in Japan, Florida, and California, and was flying the Martin B-57 Canberra as well as being a Squadron Adjutant, and Personnel and Supply Officer for the Air Police Squadron. Joe resigned from the USAF and worked for Aerojet General Corporation as an Engineering Liaison with the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA) program, a nuclear thermal rocket engine development program. Joe's last 18 years of employment he worked as the Sales and Marketing Manager for Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing, Inc.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Henry Collins and Teckla Altman Collins, his first wife, Tome' Veronica Higashida, his brother and sister-in-law, Raymond and Patricia Collins.

Joseph is survived by his wife, Ellen Mae Collins-Logsdon, his daughter and son-in-law, Susan Collins and Peter Thomas Henrie, his daughter and son-in-law, Darlene and Michael Gross, his daughter and son-in-law, Jeri and Kip Rowland, his brother and sister-in-law Kenneth Collins and Christeen Maihle, his four grandchildren, Casey Rowland, Sean Rowland, Richard Iozzi and Robert Iozzi, and several nephews and nieces.

You may sign the guestbook and submit condolences to the family online at www.stoverfuneralhome.com.

Stover Funeral Home and Crematory, Strasburg, VA is serving the family of Mr. Joseph Henry Collins.