San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Funeral held for grandfather, grandsons killed by inmate
They could make you laugh until your cheeks hurt. They loved sports and the outdoors. Most of all, they strove to be good people.
That’s how thousands remembered five members of the Collins family at their funeral Saturday, nine days after an escaped prison inmate killed Mark Collins, 66, and his four grandchildren at their
Centerville ranch.
“We are hurting today, and we are grieving today,” Houston Northwest Church Pastor Steve Bezner told mourners who filled most of the 4,000seat worship center at Champion Forest Baptist Church. Another 8,500 people watched live videos of the service on the church’s website and Facebook page.
“Evil is real and it is in the world, and if you live long enough, evil will touch your life, too,” Bezner said. “Our God is bigger than what has happened, and I know he will bring redemption.”
Collins and his grandsons were killed June 2 by escaped inmate Gonzalo Lopez. The convicted murderer had hijacked a prison bus on May 12 and eluded authorities for weeks before ambushing Collins and his grandsons and stealing their truck.
Police later spotted the truck near San Antonio and killed Lopez in a shootout in Jourdanton. But the tragedy robbed a tightly knit Houston-area family of a beloved patriarch and four boys: brothers Waylon Collins, 18; Carson, 16; and Hudson, 11; and their cousin, Bryson, 11.
Bezner called the tragedy a “gut punch.” Yet as staunch Baptists, the Collins family said faith is the answer to evil. And their faith is still strong.
“Please know, we’re going to be all right,” said Chris Collins, the father of three of the slain children.
The family is hurting more than they could possibly imagine, Collins told the crowd. But the outpouring of love and support they’ve received has been “one of the most overwhelming things we’ve ever experienced,” he added.
Amid the tears, there was also laughter as speakers described the quirks and dreams of their loved ones.
Waylon was a fiercely independent risk taker with an infectious smile. He was a baseball player who worked hard to make the varsity team, Pastor Robert Stokes said.
Carson seemed tough and carefree but was sensitive and tenderhearted, Stokes recounted. He loved football and was working hard at being a better player. He was developing into a kind, confident young man who made a point of telling people how much he loved them.
Hudson cared about others and was empathetic to those in pain. He loved golf and was set to play on a junior tour. He was quick to smile and to give hugs, Stokes said. His love of snacking was legendary.
Bryson, who lived in Magnolia, was the “brightest light in any room he entered,” Stokes said. He loved hunting, fishing and sports. He was everyone’s best friend, Stokes said.
“I cannot begin to tell you how much I already miss my brother and my fourth great nephews,” said Michael Collins, Mark’s oldest brother.
He regaled the crowd with stories of Mark’s skills as a quick thinker. Mark once talked his way into a job as a cook with zero cooking skills at the age of 14. Mark soon figured out he could bring home leftover caramel popcorn for the family — so he made sure to make a fresh batch before closing time.
Mark and his siblings grew up but never lost their love for a good prank. Mark’s other brother, Glen, recalled how Mark once hooked a rubber snake to a fishing line and dragged it across the foot of their older brother, Mike.
“He jumped about 5 feet off the ground,” Glen said. “And when he hit the ground, I think he sprung a leak.”
The loss of Mark and his grandsons to a “horrendous, unspeakable evil” is almost overwhelming, Michael Collins said. But the response to that evil — the flood of prayers and support from the community — has helped the family find peace.
“I’m looking around the room right now just looking at the outpouring of love and your presence here,” Collins said. He summed up his feelings with three words:
“Overwhelmed, overwhelmed, overwhelmed.”