Joseph F. Collins, a former resident and longtime visitor of Provincetown, died in Voorhees, N.J. after a long illness on June 9, 2022. The cause of death was a heart attack. He was 78.
Joe was born on Feb. 13, 1944 in Philadelphia and grew up in Cape May, N.J. After receiving a master’s in speech pathology at Montclair State College, he spent most of his adult life in Boston, San Francisco, and finally Provincetown.
Joe’s visits to the Cape began in the early 1970s, when he vacationed in Wellfleet with his then wife, Linda Jordan. Soon his interest in local history, art, and antiques sparked his lifelong love affair with Provincetown.
He made his home in San Francisco for more than 25 years and founded Grace and Company Antiques, named for his beloved Weimaraner. There he curated a collection of American 18th- and 19th-century furniture and artwork, often sourced during his numerous visits to New England.
Joe began regular pilgrimages to his second home in Provincetown in 1999, and in 2012 he returned full-time to live in Boston and Provincetown.
Until the sale of his home in 2019, he was the proud custodian of a West End “floater” known as the Grapevine House, first built on Long Point in the early 19th century.
He admired and contributed the Provincetown Art Association and Museum and served on the board of the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum until 2019. There Joe used his experience in private banking to support the expansion of PMPM membership and the building of the inclined elevator.
He also used his passion for antiques to manage the acquisition and restoration of several prominent items in the PMPM collection. He was especially proud of his contribution to the Floater Exhibit.
After leaving Provincetown in 2020, Joe lived in Cape May, Innsbruck, and Voorhees, N.J., where he was close to his family.
He is survived by a brother and sister in-law, Martin and Linda Collins, and their family of Innsbruck; a sister, Claire Collins; his former spouse, Linda Jordan of Groton; his former partner, Harry Clark of San Francisco; several cousins, nieces, and nephews; and devoted friends who appreciated his charm, intellect, and humor.
Joe was predeceased by his mother, Claire Collins, whom he supported in her last years in San Francisco, and by two brothers: Frank Collins of Houston and Bill Collins of Philadelphia.
In honor of Joe’s service and passion for its mission, the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum will host a gathering for friends and family at 5 p.m. on Oct. 22.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the Pilgrim Monument, P.O. Box 1125, Provincetown 02657 or at pilgrim-monument.org/donate/.
