Obituary of Ellen Collins

Ellen Collins, 61, of Howell passed away at home with her loving family surrounding her on Saturday, May 6, 2017. She was born in Plainfield and raised in South Plainfield before settling in Howell in 1984 where she raised her children. She worked at Monmouth Medical Center as a Registered Nurse in the newborn nursery until her retirement in 2016. An avid baseball fan, Ellen had a love / hate relationship with the New York Mets. A dog lover at heart, she was predeceased by her pups, Rupbert and Darla. She was preceded in death by her father, Russell Higgins in 1992; and her mother, Kathleen Higgins in 2015. Ellen is survived by her husband, Peter Collins; son, Christopher Collins and his wife, Mary; daughters, Sarah McKnight and her husband, Sean, and Amy Collins, all of Howell; three grandchildren, Chloe McKnight, Gavin McKnight and Anna Collins; grandpups, Mable and Mikey; and two sisters, Lynne Higgins and Kathleen Kula. Visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her 11:00 AM funeral service at the funeral home on Thursday, May 11, 2017. Interment will follow in Maplewood Cemetery, Freehold Township. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Ellen's name may be made to NJ Boxer Rescue, Post Office Box 684, Middlesex, NJ 08846. For information, directions or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com