Barbara Ellen Collins

Barbara Ellen Collins, 88, passed away at Greenwood Healthcare on December 3, 2022. She was born on February 18, 1934, in Boston, Massachusetts to the late William Lawrence and Edna Marie (Gibbons) Collins.

Highly intelligent and very perceptive, Barbara graduated from Nazareth College/Catherine Spalding University in the early 1960s. She went on to teach for a number of years at various schools in Louisville and Indianapolis, including Westport High School and Central Nine. In 2009 Barbara retired from Central Nine in Indiana.

When not teaching, Barbara loved to read. From a young age, she was incredibly interested in playing the piano and singing in the choir. Barbara was very active in youth groups, Senior Girl Scouts, and Girls Town, and was a representative at Massachusetts Girls State. A devoted Catholic, Barbara attended several south-side parishes over the years until her health no longer allowed her to do so. She will be remembered by all who knew and loved her as an independent person who loved life and those around her.

Along with both of her parents, Barbara was preceded in death by her adopted son, Darryl P. Ryan, and her brother, Richard Collins.

Survivors include her sisters, Sister Gail P. Collins, SCN, and Patricia E. (Kenneth) Edge; as well as her dear friends and devoted caregivers, Karl and Lynda Knable; numerous extended family members, and friends.

The complete obituary with service information will be updated soon. Please check back later for the service information.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at 10:00 AM in St. Mark Catholic Church, 535 East Edgewood Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46227. Inurnment will take place at a later date in Holyhood Cemetery in Massachusetts. Funeral and Cremation arrangements are being handled by O’Riley – Branson Funeral Service & Crematory, 6107 South East Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46227. Please visit www.ORileyBranson.com to leave an online condolence for Barbara’s family.