Remembering Chris Collins
• We’ve lost yet another well loved Northern California radio and television pro — Chris Collins, probably best known for his memorable stint as OM/PD and popular leader of The Morning Zoo at KSFM (FM 102)/Sacramento from 1980-92, as well as stops at KFRC/San Francisco, KBKS/Seattle, and the legendary KDIA-AM 1310/Oakland, to name just a few, died in the early hours of Wednesday, June 18, just two days shy of his 65th birthday.
Earlier Wednesday evening, Collins’ wife Shannon shared her husband’s dire situation in a Facebook post, noting that he had been fighting Stage 4 Bile Duct Cancer for over a year. “He has endured surgery after surgery and fought with everything he can to beat the Cancer. Round after round of Chemotherapy. After his last ERCP he was doing fine but they gave him an antibiotic which put him into liver failure… The Cancer did not kill him, but a medication he was given is ending his life.”
Shannon added, “He is the most amazing father and greatest husband anyone could ask for. He fought this battle without telling many people. Please pray for him to be relieved of his suffering and please pray for his boys. They will be lost without their dad. My husband of 35 years is an incredible human being who has done so much to help people his whole life.”
In addition to Shannon, Collins leaves behind sons Nick and Shayne. A heartbreaking Facebook post from Shayne reads, “Dad, my best friend, the only man I could count on to talk to anytime I needed it, and the best father to me and my brother, and best husband to our mom there was. We will continue to celebrate your life and never let your name be forgotten for as long as we’re on this earth. Please send prayers out to our family, as this is a dark time for us and we don’t know what we will do without him. Love you dad — you will be missed by many and never forgotten.”
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Collins’ other passion — hockey. He owned two minor league hockey teams, and had also served as the color analyst for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, working alongside play-by-play announcer, Dan Rusanowski.
Needless to say, Collins’ Facebook page is absolutely overflowing with messages of love and loss from his many friends and former colleagues. [Special thanks to Tony Cox, Chris’ friend of nearly 40 years]
