CARIBOU, Maine — Patricia "Pat" Collins, the mother of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, has died. She was 96 years old.
A spokesperson with Sen. Collins' office issued a statement that Pat passed away Tuesday morning.
Pat was born in Colombia and came to the United States with her parents at a young age, according to Sen. Collins' office. She was then raised in Port Jervis, New York before moving to Maine and attending the University of Maine.
In 1948, Pat married Donald F. Collins and spent the remainder of her life with him in Caribou until he died in 2018. They were married 70 years, the statement said,
Sen. Collins' office noted the legacy Pat left behind, including becoming the first woman elected as mayor of Caribou and the first female chair on the University of Maine System (UMS) Board of Trustees. She was also elected to the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2005.
"Among many other volunteer positions in public service, Pat was chair of the Caribou School Board, chair of the Maine Committee for Judicial Responsibility and Disability, a member of the Board of Visitors at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, a member of the advisory committee of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, a court-appointed special advocate for children, chair of the Catholic Charities Maine Board of Directors and the Catholic Foundation of Maine Board of Trustees, and one of two New England representatives to the National Advisory Council of the Conference of Catholic Bishops. For nine years, she was employed as the Director of Religious Education at Holy Rosary Church in Caribou," the statement said.
Pat had six children, wrote two cookbooks, and became an artist, photographer, and more.
"A measure of her artistic ability was the project she undertook to paint watercolor portraits of several of her husband's colleagues in the Maine State Senate," Sen. Collins' office said.
Additionally, Pat earned two bachelor of arts degrees. She studied mathematics at the University of Maine and art at the University of Presque Isle.
"Pat’s love for the University of Maine System was surpassed only by her love for her family and for the Caribou community. She was quite a lady, and Maine’s public universities are all the better for her leadership and service," UMS Chancellor Dannel Malloy said in a news release. "Her tenure on the Board of Trustees and her fierce advocacy for public higher education throughout her lifetime of public service helped make our System what it is today and will continue to positively impact students in Maine far into the future. Our entire university community extends our condolences and prayers to the Collins family and all of Aroostook County as we mourn Pat and recommit ourselves to serving others in her memory."
She leaves behind her six children, 11 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.