Brendan Joseph Collins

Brendan Joseph Collins, 71, of Barnstable, MA passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 surrounded by his loving family. He was the loving husband of 47 years to Rose (Fitzgerald) Collins.

Brendan was born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland, the son of the late Patrick and Annie nee Slevin Collins. In 1977, he moved to Germany where he resided for 14 years and where he and Rose started their family. The family moved to the United States in 1991 where he eventually made his beautiful home in Barnstable, MA.

In addition to his wife Rose, Brendan is survived by his daughter, Sinead of Brooklyn, NY, son Alan of Apex, NC, daughter Lorna of Brooklyn, NY, and grandchildren Julian, Isla and Stella. He is also survived by his brothers Paul, Kevin, Padraic, Michael, Jarlath, the late Gerald and his sisters Ann and Mary, as well as his many nephews and nieces in Ireland. A huge animal lover, Brendan is also survived by his beloved dog, Hugo.

Brendan loved his career in the tech industry. He worked his way up through the ranks, starting at Digital Equipment Corporation as a teenager in Galway, where his career then took him to Germany, Colorado, Massachusetts and finally California. He ultimately retired in 2019 as Vice President of Marketing at Western Digital.

He had many passions in life. From a very young age, he had a love of sports. In high school, Brendan was on the track and field team, competing in pole vault and other events. Throughout his life, he excelled in every sport he played, including soccer, Gaelic football and hurling, tennis, pickleball, and golf. He was an avid Patriots and Celtics fan. He had a competitive edge and loved nothing more than to be in the game room playing tournaments of darts, pool, and table tennis with his family. He loved music, especially The Eagles, Dire Straits, and The Fureys to name a few.

Brendan embodied selflessness and generosity throughout his life and always made his family his number one priority. He had a positive attitude in all aspects of life. The glass was always half-full. We will miss his sense of humor, his competitiveness (he never let us win anything), and his kind heart.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Brendan may be made to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Kidney Cancer Research Fund by visiting www.bidmc.org/giving. Please select “Other” under “Gift Designation” and type Kidney Cancer Research Fund.