Charles H. ‘Chip’ Collins

NORFOLK — Charles H. “Chip” Collins, 70, died peacefully on Nov. 29, 2024, after a long illness with dementia. He was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend. Chip was a visionary leader whose life and work left a lasting im pact in land and wildlife conservation.

Chip was born Oct. 20, 1954, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Francis H. Collins and Nancy C. Collins. He graduated from St. Mark’s School in 1973, and went on to study history at Colorado College, earning his bach elor’s degree in 1977. In 1992, Chip earned a master’s degree in environmental studies from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

Chip’s job at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy marked the start of a distinguished 40-year career dedicated to protecting the natural world. He served in several influential roles, including Colorado State Director for The Nature Conservancy and Vice President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In 1986, Chip was named the first Executive Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. After graduate school, Chip moved to Massachusetts to serve as Vice President of Winslow Management, an environmental investment management firm. In 1995, Chip co-founded The Forestland Group, LLC, a timberland investment management organization, where he served as Managing Director until his retirement in 2014.

Chip married Anne Childs in 1989, and together they raised three children, Teddy, Caroline, and Alice, in Watertown, Massachusetts. Being a dad was Chip’s most cherished role in life. In addition to his professional work, Chip served on the Board of Directors for the Land Trust Alliance, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Institute for Ecosystem Studies, Great Mountain Forest, the Student Conservation Association, the Quebec-Labrador Foundation, Shady Hill School, and the Jane Coffin Childs Fund for Cancer Research.

Chip’s dedication to the environment was matched only by his deep love for wild places and the species that inhabit them. An avid outdoorsman, Chip traveled widely on fishing and hunting trips. He loved growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, calling waterfowl with his dad and two brothers, and spending his summers on Lake Muskoka and Deer Lake in Ontario. He loved exploring the mountains of Colorado and the woods of Northwestern Connecticut.

Chip received exceptional care from many compassionate caregivers as his health declined. He never lost his love for the outdoors. Chip is survived by his wife, three children, daughter-in-law, Tory Collins, his mother, and his siblings, Alice Collins, Francis “Pat” Collins, and Edison “Eddie” Collins, along with many loved family members. A service will be held at Story Chapel in Mount Auburn Cemetery , Cambridge, Mass., at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 29, 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the conser vation organization of your choice.