“D. Michael Collins — sworn into office one year ago as the 62nd Mayor of Toledo, Ohio — took to heart the words “duty” and “honor.”
An Irish-American son from the South End of Toledo, his entire adult life and works were dedicated to serving our community and country.
Upon high school graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps attaining the rank of Corporal. Until his passing, every day he lived the motto of the Corps, Semper Fidelis, “Always Faithful.”
When he returned home from military service, he continued serving his community as a police officer for nearly three decades. He was elected president of the Toledo Police Patrolmen’s Association. He first ran for City Council in 2007 and quickly earned a reputation as a problem solver with deep knowledge of the City’s finances and budget. He ran for Mayor in 2013 in a heavily contested race, won with broad public support and was sworn into his first term.
Mayor Collins lived the City’s motto “Laborare et Orare” — to work and to pray. He assiduously applied himself to every task he undertook. Throughout his life, he was an indefatigable learner attaining many degrees that served him well in his leadership roles. He also taught at his alma mater, the University of Toledo.
During his year as mayor, he shepherded the city through three major crises: the tragic loss of two firefighters in an arson-related fire, the shutoff of city water for three days due to contamination by toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie, and, most recently, a level 3 snow emergency. Through it all, Mayor Collins’ steady leadership, humble manner, and broad smile gave confidence to the public.
On behalf of our entire community, please let me extend my deepest condolences to his beloved wife Sandy, who was always at his side, and to his daughters and grandchildren. May our community turn grief to good works as Mayor Collins would wish. Our citizenry has been blessed to know him and work with him. May God bless him and bring him peaceful rest.”
— Rep. Marcy Kaptur
“Very saddened by the passing of Toledo Mayor Michael Collins. Proud to call him my friend and my prayers go out to his family.”
— Gov. John Kasich (via Twitter)
“Marcia and I extend our deepest sympathies to Sandy and the entire Collins family. Mike was a public servant who truly put service and his constituents above himself. Toledo and Northwest Ohio have lost a leader, and he will be sorely missed.”
—Rep. Bob Latta
“Today we mourn the loss of @DMCToledo, a servant to this country and city. My sincerest condolences to Sandy and family #RIPMayorCollins”
—Former Toledo Mayor
Mike Bell (via Twitter)
“I was very saddened to hear about the passing of Mayor Collins. Like me, he was a proud product of Toledo Public Schools, a Libbey Cowboy through and through. Mayor Collins knew the importance of a strong public school system and we could always count on him to lend his support, like he did when he spoke at a community luncheon in the fall urging the passage of our levy. Mayor Collins dedicated his life to public service, first as a police officer, then as a councilman and finally as mayor. I always admired his commitment to the people of Toledo, his people. The staff and students of TPS extend their sincerest condolences to the family of Mayor Collins.”
—Romules Durant, Toledo Public Schools superintendent
“It is with profound sadness that I received the news of the death of our Mayor, D. Michael Collins. Together with all the faithful of the Diocese of Toledo, I extend deepest sympathy to his wife, Sandy Drabik, his daughters and all his family and friends.
As a family of faith, we mourn the loss of our city leader who loved this City of Toledo, and served it well as a police officer, public servant and most recently as our mayor. Mayor Collins often spoke of the importance of his Catholic faith and the many ways the Lord had blessed his life. I will count among my blessings the opportunity to have come to know him, to have met his family, and to have prayed with his wife at his hospital bedside.
Since being warmly welcomed to Toledo by Mayor Collins, I counted him as one of my new friends and will sincerely miss him. I invite Catholics and all people of good will to pray for the happy repose of his soul, and to pray for and with his wife and family as they mourn his loss.”
—Bishop Daniel E. Thomas
“He was very decisive, and that was one of his strengths. When he took a position he stayed with it. When you look at the Wrangler issue, his firmness would have been well used on our behalf in negotiating because he would have been relentless to try to get a deal. I hope [Mayor] Ms. [Paula] Hicks-Hudson can replicate his kind of decisiveness on that. He also took pride in being mayor. When you think about the things he got confronted with his first year, not everyone could have pulled it off as well as he did. I still think people are stunned around the panel. It’s kind of a collective shock that hasn’t worn off yet. It will take some time. He will be missed.”
— Former Mayor and Toledo City Council President Jack Ford
“Mike Collins exemplified the best qualities of public service. He was at his finest when the going got tough, perhaps a reflection of his experience as a pubic safety officer. He never flinched from a crisis, but never tried to take credit for his accomplishments. He instead empowered those around him to rise to the challenges that inevitably face us in service to the City. His quiet, steady leadership style will be sorely missed. My hope is that we all find inspiration in his example.”
— Toledo City Councilman Steve Steel
“Mike was a person who always did his homework on issues. Taxpayers surely got more than their money’s worth with him. He was also a friend. We didn’t always agree on policy, but we always agreed to be friends.”
— Toledo City Councilman
Tom Waniewski
“It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Mayor Collins. On this sad occasion, we recall his long and dedicated service to the City of Toledo and more specifically, his tireless support for the FCA US Toledo Assembly Complex. We will truly miss his leadership and send our deepest sympathy to his family and to the people of Toledo.”
— Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne
“One of the biggest things I’ll miss about him is his leadership. Whether I agreed with him or not, he always stood tall on his issues. I’ve heard a lot of people say they had arguments with him and the next day everything was back to business. I can tell you that same kind of thing happened with us. That’s one thing I really, really admired about him.
There were times that Mayor Collins would show up a few minutes late [to Council meetings], being a very busy man, and to see the faces light up in the room when he walked in was quite amazing.
He was the District 2 councilman before me so whenever I go to the neighborhood or block watch meetings, they all tell me how much they respected him and how much of a leader he was and how he helped them out in their issues. I just want to be the same councilman he was and fill his big shoes. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
— Toledo City Councilman
Matt Cherry
“What I will probably miss the most is his lecturing. This guy was like a professor. We’d be sitting there [on Council] and we’d ask one of his people a question and he’d say, ‘Let me answer that.’ He truly loved this city. The sad part is, here’s a man who came into office during a storm and he died doing the same thing, under the same circumstances. In essence, his whole life was about the safety of the people. He was always walking around smiling. That will be missed.”
— Toledo City Councilman
Larry Sykes
D. Michael Collins was a friend of many, co-worker, associate and mentor to several of us. I remember most that he was willing to always stand up for what he believed was the right thing and way to go. He often told me that I took his place of not asking questions that you did not already know the answer to: “Always do your homework before asking a question.” We did not always agree but we respected each other. I am one of the few who had the opportunity to work with him for 30- plus years. Finally, he will be greatly missed and as he grew older he became a very compassionate person.”
— Toledo City Councilwoman
Theresa Gabriel
“Our sincerest sympathies go out to the family of Mayor D. Michael Collins, the Toledo Police Department and the City of Toledo. We are all a ‘community’ here in Northwest
Ohio and grieve with you.”
— Oregon Police Department (via Facebook)
“Fair winds and following seas to my Mayor and friend @DMCToledo. You will be missed.”
— Toledo Police Chief George Kral (via Twitter)
“The loss really crosses many roads. Certainly the support of our operation, both police and fire, but we also consider him a friend and losing a friend like that is very difficult. He’s always been so supportive of us. He seemed to understand our mission, what we were trying to accomplish, and he did everything he could to support us.”
— Toledo Fire & Rescue
Chief Luis Santiago
“The passing of Mayor Collins is a tremendous loss for Toledo and all its citizens. In recognizing this loss, we all can celebrate the life and times of this fine public servant. His service as a police officer, union representative and public official has made for a legacy that can inspire us all. His commitment to the public welfare, his fellow police officers and the future of this great city is a model for all to follow. Mayor Collins’ memory will live on as we continue the pursuits to which he was so deeply committed.”
— Ohio AFL-CIO President
Tim Burga
“We’re in territory we’ve never seen in this city before. … He was a guy who we all knew and had dealings with. And then you have the shock that the leader of the city is gone. I don’t think anyone is ever prepared for the reality. [He was] a guy that we’ve been familiar with because of his many positions in the community, as a police officer, a union official, a teacher, a City Councilman and now a mayor. So we’ve had a range of experiences with him as a person and that’s gone in the blink of an eye. He was always prepared. I think everyone thinks that his singular strength was the fact that once he became engaged in an issue, he tried to be fully educated.”
— Lucas County Commissioner
Pete Gerken
“Toledo and our state lost a true public servant today. Mike Collins was in it for the right reasons and made a big difference in the lives of the people he served. I was honored to work with him on issues as varied as abandoned homes and toxic algal blooms and economic development. I was in Toledo on [Feb. 6] and able to express my sympathy in person to his top staff and interim Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson. To the people of Toledo, and to his family, including his wonderful wife Sandra Drabik, Jane and I offer our condolences and prayers.”
— Sen. Rob Portman
“Mayor Collins spent his life serving Toledo. From his service in the armed forces and in the Toledo Police Department to this summer’s water crisis, Mayor Collins tackled challenges head on. He leaves behind a legacy of service and dedication to his community. Connie and I extend our deepest sympathies to his family, his friends and the people of Toledo.”
— Sen. Sherrod Brown
“I’ll miss his sense of humor the most. We’d be in tense situations and he’d break that tension with some joke or comment. That’s what I’ll miss the most.”
—Chief of Staff Bob Reinbolt
“The community has suffered such a great loss. However, we will go and implement his vision for the City of Toledo. Mayor Collins would have wanted all members of the community to know that his decision making process always considered how everyone in Northwest Ohio might be impacted, not just Toledo. He was deeply concerned about all members of the region and his legacy will live on through the team that he created.”
— Matt Sapara (via Facebook)
“With heavy hearts, our city and state mourn the loss of our strong, devoted leader and friend Michael Collins. A veteran, police officer, Councilman, professor — and a fierce advocate for our great city and its citizens — our mayor’s devotion was to selfless public service and his family. During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those whose lives he touched. He will be greatly missed and dearly remembered.”
—State Reps. Michael Ashford,
Teresa Fedor and Michael P. Sheehy
“Rest in Peace, Mayor Collins. A faithful servant, a gracious and loving man, and an embodiment of all that is good in public service.”
—Mark Wagoner (via Twitter)
“We are saddened to hear about the passing of Mayor Collins today. A life-long Toledoan, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, a dedicated police officer, union leader, and finally as Mayor, Mayor Collins spent his life serving and protecting his community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time, along with the entire Toledo community.”
— Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family Mayor Collins. Very sad news.
— Ohio Republican Party (via Twitter)
“The Board of Directors and Staff of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority would like to express our deepest sympathies to the family of Mayor D. Michael Collins.
— Toledo Lucas-County Port Authority (via Facebook)
“Commissioners extend condolences to the family of Mayor Collins, and offer support to our community during this difficult situation.”
— Lucas County Commissioners (via Twitter)
