Ann Miller Collins

Ann Miller Collins, age 84, a longtime resident of Troy, Alabama, passed away peacefully Tuesday, November 26, 2024. A celebration of her life will be held Monday, December 2, 2024, at 1 p.m. in the chapel of Green Hills Funeral Home with Dr. Mallone Chandler officiating. Burial will follow in Green Hills Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. 

It was just like any ole mild, quaint summer day, June 8, 1940, in Cairo, Georgia, but when Ann Miller made her arrival, she lit-up the universe blazing her course with eccentric delight and a dabble of hellbent. Suddenly, that corner of the world felt fiery hot. Folks in that rural, Southern town knew there was no holding her back, so instead, they excitedly embraced her infectious heat wave and stayed tuned for what was destined to be a great journey. 

 Ann shared a modest upbringing, working the family farmland alongside her father and honing important life skills like casting a line and perfecting her aim at short and long-range target shooting. Her self-sufficient diligence and big imagination often produced a hearty meal for the family and a heap of excitement for herself. It didn’t take long for wanderlust to strike, so upon her graduation from Wigham High School in 1958, Ann moved on to study at the Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College in Tifton, Georgia. 

 She traveled here to there and everywhere, early on calling home to the Everglades region of south Florida for a stint and later planting more permanent roots in Troy. In 1970, she secured a position with the Troy State University’s registrar’s office and talked her way to the role of chief switchboard operator of telecommunications and “voice” of the university, a position from which she retired in 1998. Concurrently through her final professional operator years, she wore her student’s hat, furthering her education and satisfying her creative curiosities through advanced art courses and the studies of the inner workings of the criminal justice system. She graduated from Troy University, Cum Laude, on March 19, 1999, with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in studio art and criminal justice. 

Ann was an artist of many forms. First in her studio form, working with mostly acrylics and watercolors to interpret some of natures most interesting subjects like birds, rattlesnakes, possums, and bobcats. She even considered taxidermy for a short time, but ultimately left those deep-freezer projects to the professionals. Second as an entertainer, often traveling with her puppet companion, a monkey named Clyde, and making impromptu stops across town just to muster a smile or conjure a laugh from friends and strangers alike. Third as an artisan, as she was decorated in her extracurricular trades as a marksman and sportswoman, cane weaver, Aquanet stylist, and multi-master of dominos. Mostly, though, Ann was a crafter of meaningful relationships and valuable life content. She lived fully and intently. She was immersed in the lives of the ones she loved most and cultivated countless vibrant, memory-making moments. And she never fell short when confided for wise counsel. Perhaps we all could heed Ann’s most famed advice, “That is your little red wagon to push, pull, or drag however you see fit.”

 Ann is survived by her children, Cheryl A. Ross (Peter) of Troy and Phillip N. Lee (Amanda) of Troy; grandchildren, Joanna J. Peterson of Moncks Corner, SC, Hannah L. Lee of Goshen, Matthew B. Snyder of Corbin, KY, and Robin G. Snyder (Gabby) of Wetumpka; great-grandchildren, Eli M. Peterson of Moncks Corner, SC, and Ben J. Teague of Wetumpka; and sisters, Jane Burt of Quincy, FL, and Doris Mills of Gainesville, GA. She was preceded in death by her husband, Willard L. Collins of Cairo, GA; previous spouses, John P. Lee (former Chief of Police for the city of Troy) of Montevallo, and William C. Pyles of Eufaula; parents, Ralph N. and Kathryn Miller of Cairo, GA; brother, Billy G. Miller of Meigs, GA; sister, Judy Lee of Montevallo; and granddaughter, Katherine “Katie” A. Lee of Troy. 

 Flowers will be accepted, or memorial contributions can be made to the Colley Senior Complex (PO Box 549, Troy, AL 36081) or to the charity of your choice. Friends and family can sign the guestbook or share memories and condolences online at www.greenhillsfuneralhome.net. The staff of Green Hills Funeral Home is honored to serve the Collins family.