Celebrating The Life of Helen Johnson Collins and Horace Clayton Collins, Tuesday, July 19, 1994, Warren Memorial United Methodist Church, 181 Ashby Street, Southwest, Atlanta, Georgia, The Reverend Wimbley Hale, Jr., Senior Minister, Officiating

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Helen Johnson Collins lived a model citizen's life of eighty-three years.
Since public schools were not available to her in Summerville, Georgia, Helen was taught until she was nine by her mother, Ms. Gussie Beeks Johnson, in a one room school. Atthe age often, she was enrolled at Clark University to continue her elementary and high school education. After graduating, she entered Howard University in Washington, D. C., where she completed her first year of college. She returned to Atlanta and completed her second year at Atlanta University. She worked as a recorder for the Federal Census Bureau and was a clerk for the Atlanta Urban League.
In 1930, she was employed by the Atlanta Life Insurance Company as a clerk in the Auditing Department and advanced in that department until 1942 when she was promoted to supervisor.
During her tenure at Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Mrs. Collins' career was stellar and without precedent for a woman. She consistently rose through the ranks, serving in several posit ions spanning many areas of company operations. She was a member of the Board of Directors, member of the Executive Comm ittee, Trustee ofthe Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation, and finally rising to serve as the first woman as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mrs. Collins retired in 1991 after an unprecedented sixty years of dedicated service.
Following her retirement, she continued to find or make the time to serve in various religious, civic, and profess ional organizations. She was a member of Warren M emorial United Met hodist Church where she served on the Finance Committee and was a member of the United Methodist Women . She also served on several other Boards with distinction, United Way, Y.M .C.A., Arthritis Foundation, the Atlanta Personnel Association , and continued as a Trustee of the Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation, oversee ing the cultural affairs of the Herndon Home and va r ious corporate affairs of the company.
Her citations have been numerous, including being featured in Ebony Magazine's "Best and Brightest Black Women in Corporate America," an "Outstandi ng Woman in International Business" by the National Board of the Y.W .C.A., and by " Dollars and Se nse " magazine as one of the "Outstanding Women in Business."
Today, we salute Mrs. Helen Johnson Collins as a true " Lady of Distinction" as we celebrate her life of eighty-three years.

Order ifc5ervice
Mr. David Stills, Organist
ORGAN PRELUDE
PROCESSIONAL ....... "0 Master, Let Me Walk With Thee"
SCRIPTURE ........ The Reverend Emmanuel Gardon, C.P. Parochial Vicar
St. Paul of The Cross Catholic Church The Old Testament, Psalm 23 The New Testament, I Corinthians 13
PRAYER .............................. The Reverend Gardon
SOLO ............................. Ms. Henrietta P. Antoinin "His Eye Is On The Sparrow"
TRIBUTES TO HORACE: Dr. Stephen Holloway, Friend Mr. Jeff Bewkes, President, HBO
SOLO ................................. Ms. Miriam G. Adams "The Lord's Prayer"
TRIBUTES TO HELEN: Mr. Henry N. Brown, Trustee The Herndon Foundation Mr. Jesse Hill, Jr. Chairman, Board of Directors Atlanta Life Insurance Company
SOLO ....... . .... . . . ........ . ................... Ms. Antoinin
"If I Can Help Somebody "
WORDS OF COMFORT: The Reverend Dr. Robert Sherard The Reverend Wimbley Hale, Jr.
ORGAN MEDLEY
RECESSIONAL
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Westview Cemetery 1680 Ralph D. Abernathy Blvd., Southwest
Atlanta, Georgia

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Horace Clayton Collins was born in Atlanta on June 3, 1950to Mr. and Mrs. Horace Clayton Collins, Sr.
His behavior in pre-school, kindergarten, elementary and middle school revealed exemplary achievement in subjects assigned in each grade. His parents rewarded his progress and proceeded to enrich his life with travel, music, golf, and an abundance of visits to cultural events. His marks and outstanding recommendations from his teachers made him eligible for scholarships to attend Worcester Preparatory School for his secondary education. He produced test records and high grades that brought offers of full scholarships from Ivy League Colleges and Universities. A partial scholarship was tendered from Harvard University and he quickly accepted. After graduating from Harvard, Horace's undergraduate performances rewarded him with admission to Stanford University where he completed a Masters degree in Communication. He was further rewarded with admission into Harvard University Law School, where he successfully completed the studies and tests that launched him into a stellar career of practicing law.
He joined Home Box Office, a multi-million dollar communications giant, in 1979 as an associate counsel, after serving as an associate in the Manhattan based law firm of Cahill, Gordon, and Reindel. Horace succeeded in rapid advances that placed him in the legal office of the Home Box Office Corporation. His successful performance moved him upward to the office of Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. He was responsible for overseeing the legal aspects of HBO's feature film financing, licensing, programming, and distribution, as well as HBO's West Coast programming operations, including the financing and production of HBO pictures and other original programming.
We knew Horace Clayton Collins to be successful in his every endeavor. He was the essence of gracious dignity, warming and inspiring the hearts of all those whose lives he touched. Filled with wisdom and gracious good humor, he contributed brilliance to each effort he undertook. Horace excelled in every test, and with each win, his mother brimmed with pride. She applauded him continuously. They conquered their challenges and absorbed each other's mastery to the point of each knowing that they were second to none as they embraced final victory.