A Life of Celebration

Remembering Kathleen Fox Collins

With gratitude and deep love, we remember Kathleen Fox Collins who passed away at home, surrounded by her family.

Kathleen was like family to me and so many others.  And a friend.  And a mentor.  An encourager, advocate, and tenacious drum-beater.  A bell-ringing, truth-speaking, champion for all that’s good and beautiful in our community.

For the Philharmonic, she is a legend.  Kathleen joined the Symphony leadership along with Bee Vradenburg and Charles Ansbacher in 1975.   She held nearly every role in administration – from fundraiser to orchestra operations.  There’s nothing she couldn’t do.

In 2019 I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathleen about her life and career.  We must have talked for hours.  A few of her thoughts:

“I was thinking today that my life is like a play, you know? We each have these little scenes that happen to us each and every day, and it’s the way you view the worlds that makes you somewhat artistically inclined, and you appreciate then what real artists do.  So very early on I realized how very much I appreciate people who can play music, because it was something I couldn’t do.  I could act, I could dance, but music was so magical.”

“My mantra – and I’m unrelenting on this – is that the music comes first, because if the music isn’t good, that what is the point? Everything else matters too, but the first and most important thing is that the music is great.”

More will be shared from so many others about our dear friend Kathleen, and the light she shined in this beautiful, musical world.