LeRoy Collins Jr. remembered as compassionate, helpful

State and local political figures mixed with friends and family members today for the funeral of LeRoy Collins Jr., retired rear admiral, son of a former governor and longtime Tampa resident.

Collins, 75, was killed Thursday when his bicycle was hit by a sport utility vehicle near his Davis Islands home.

The crowd filled St. Andrew's Episcopal Church as well as the parish hall and the children's chapel of the same downtown church where Collins married Carol Sisson in 1959. The couple marked their 51st anniversary in June.

A graveside service will be held in Tallahassee at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Steve Evans remembers Collins for the help the former admiral gave his son in getting into the Navy SEALS. Collins knew the right person to call for Chip Evans to apply for the elite unit.

Chip Evans just deployed for his fourth tour in the Middle East.

He was hoping he could be here today, Steve Evans said.

"He had a tremendous impact on Chip's life. He gave him the opportunity to get into the SEALS and brought him into his family as well," Steve Evans said.

Gov. Charlie Crist, who issued a proclamation designating today as LeRoy Collins Jr. Remembrance Day, was among those who attended.

At the time of his death, Collins was executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, a position he was appointed to by Crist.

Among other accomplishments, Collins will be remembered as a great public servant, Crist said.

"I feel a great sense of duty to pay my respects and regards for he and his family today," Crist said.

Alex Sink, state chief financial officer, came to know Collins through his work with the veterans department.

"He had incredible character and integrity," Sink said before the service started. "His moral compass was so strong."

Her husband, Tampa attorney Bill McBride, said Collins was especially helpful to young people and had a little-known talent for drawing cartoons. He would embellish letters with illustrations to help make his point, McBride said.

"He was as good at it as anybody," McBride said.

The U.S. Navy sent pallbearers and an honor guard in recognition of Collins' 34-year military career, which included deployment on a nuclear submarine and an analyst for Naval Intelligence.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe said the fact Collins died in a traffic accident is a mark against the community.

"It's a terrible tragedy he lost his life on our streets. I feel like our community let the admiral down.
We need to be able to walk our streets and ride on our streets in a safe fashion," Sharpe said.

Police ruled the crash that killed Collins an accident and said no charges will be filed against Margaux Manuel, the driver of the SUV.

Manuel, 27, was heading west on Brorein Street just before 7 a.m. Thursday and stopped at the South Hyde Park Avenue red light, police said. She made a left turn from the one-way street onto Hyde Park Avenue but did not see Collins in the crosswalk, police said, and hit the bicycle.

He was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he died.