D. Michael Collins, a former police detective and police union president who went into politics in retirement and was elected mayor in 2013, died at 1:25 p.m. today at the University of Toledo Medical Center five days after suffering cardiac arrest while driving a city-owned vehicle. He was 70.
“His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. The City of Toledo mourns its Mayor as well as expresses deep sympathy for the family and close friends of Mayor Collins,” said a statement issued by the staff of Acting Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson at 2:23 p.m.
Ms. Hicks-Hudson, the former city council president, automatically became mayor under the city charter. She took the oath of office last Sunday, and it was not clear whether a new oath-taking would be required.
Toledo’s fourth mayor under the “strong mayor” form of government that went into effect in 1993, Mr. Collins had just entered his second year on the job. During his first year, he faced unusually harsh snow emergencies, the deaths of two firefighters in an alleged arson, and a 56-hour period in which citizens were advised not to drink the city’s water because of an algae-related toxin.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Coyle Funeral Home in South Toledo.
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The city issued a statement on behalf of Mr. Collins’ widow, Sandra Drabik, and his daughters, saying, “ the entire family would like to thank the community for their thoughts, prayers and support during this difficult time.
“They would also like to thank the medical staff at the University of Toledo Medical Center for the care and support they have provided. The City of Toledo has truly shown themselves to be a compassionate community,” the statement said.
After two Toledo residents found him inside his crashed, running vehicle Sunday afternoon on Hill Avenue near Parkside Boulevard in South Toledo, they proceeded to perform CPR. At the hospital, Mr. Collins underwent therapeutic hypothermia, which involved inserting a tube in a major vein that monitors the temperature of and cools the blood, in hopes of a gradual recovery.
The mayor’s medical crisis followed a news conference earlier the same day with Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp, during which the officials agreed to issue a notice of a Level 3 snow emergency allowing only emergency vehicles to be on the streets.
He is the first Toledo mayor to die in office since 1904 when Samuel “Golden Rule” Jones died after a brief illness.
Statements of condolence quickly began pouring in.
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) said she was immediately saddened upon hearing the mayor had died, but also grateful for his contributions.
Miss Kaptur said his first year as mayor was marked by difficult challenges for the city.
"He shepherded us through," she said.
Police officer Dan Wagner, president of the Toledo Police Patroman’s Association, said it was Mr. Collins representation of him in a disciplinary case that kindled his interest in the union.
“I thanked him for defending me. He said, ‘I’m not defending you. You did nothing wrong. I’m representing you.’ That always stuck with me,” Mr. Wagner said. He said he learned from Mr. Collins to “fight your arguments with facts, not emotions.”
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said the state party was saddened by the news of Mr. Collins’ passing.
“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,” Mr. Pepper said.
U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green), whose district includes parts of South and West Toledo, said in a prepared statement, “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,” Mr. Latta said.
State Sen. Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green), said, he worked with the mayor on issues relating to Toledo.
“I deeply respected his work ethic and dedication to public service. This is a terrible loss for his wife Sandy and his family, and a colossal loss for our region,” Mr. Gardner said.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) was in Toledo Friday and met with Ms. Hicks-Hudson. He commended Mayor Collins as a “classic public servant” who treated everyone the same and was not concerned with their political affiliation.
“We worked closely on the toxic algo bloom issue, even before the water quality problem. We also worked on abandoned homes, he cared a lot about that issue. He cared a lot about dealing with the dredging in the harbor,” Mr. Portman recalled.
Sergio Marchionne, the chief executive of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, said in a released statement, “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.”
Oregon police Chief Mike Navarre said he was shocked by Mr. Collins’ collapse and met with Mr. Collins' wife Friday morning.
"She was as positive as you can be under those circumstances," he said. He said he and Mr. Collins knew each other since about 1977 and spoke often during Mr. Collins' tenure as union president and later as a city official.
He said Mr. Collins was knowledgeable and loved the city and police department, acted with integrity and did his research.
"Mike is one of those union guys that knows when to fight and when not to fight," Chief Navarre said.
Mr. Collins’ 2013 political opponent and fellow public safety officer, former Mayor and former Fire Chief Mike Bell, tweeted his sadness at the passing of the mayor, expressing sympathy and calling him, “a servant to this country and city.”
State Sen. Edna Brown (D., Toledo) said, extended her sympathy to the mayor’s family and friends.
“He devoted his life to public service and his death is a tremendous loss to our city. He will be missed by the citizens of Toledo and anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. Although he is no longer with us, his legacy will be remembered forever,” Ms. Brown said.
A political independent, Mr. Collins was elected mayor in 2013, defeating incumbent Mayor Bell, who was also a political independent. He was a come-from-behind candidate in the primary, defeating two Democrats who split the Democratic vote, city Councilman Joe McNamara and Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez.
Mr. Collins said the other candidates tried to cast him as not a serious contender, but that his advancing to the general election was not a surprise to him.
"I believed in it all along. I honestly did," Mr. Collins said at the time. "I believe I have the skill and the capacity to listen and to write the next chapter, which will be the first chapter of the book called 'New Toledo'."
Mr. Collins drew support from Democrats and unions that were outraged by Mr. Bell's support of Senate Bill 5, the 2011 law weakening public employee unions. The law was defeated in a statewide referendum.
Mr. Collins gained national attention for his handling of the Aug. 2-4 water crisis that occurred after chemical tests revealed microcystin in the city’s drinking water, brought on by an algae bloom in Lake Erie at the city water intake.
After about half a million city water customers were forced to rely on bottled water for drinking and food preparation, Mr. Collins was able to hoist a glass of clear water for the cameras to show that water quality had been restored.
Saving the Wrangler manufacturing line at Chrysler was Mr. Collins’s most recent challenge. He said in a conversation with a Blade reporter Sunday morning that he was unable to divulge details of his discussions about that with Mr. Marchionne because they had a confidentiality agreement.
His administration was also involved in initiatives to sell the former Southwyck Shopping Center, which the city bought last year under Mayor Collins’ initiative. The mayor oversaw the demolitions of the two eyesores, the former Clarion Hotel near Southwyck and two smokestacks left over from a former power plant at the Marina District in East Toledo.
Mr. Collins first was elected to office in 2007 to represent South Toledo District 2. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2009. Mr. Collins was re-elected to his council seat in 2011.
Collins family lore had it that he was a distant relative of the legendary Irish revolutionary politician Michael Collins. But after traveling to Ireland to meet his family, and after his wife, Sandra Drabik, tried to research his genealogy, he acknowledged it was far from certain. An investigation by The Blade found that it was, at best, a long shot.
He was the son of Michael John Collins, one of four siblings who immigrated to Toledo from Ireland, and the former Gertrude Helmer, of German ancestry, who died in 2006 at the age of 93.
When Mr. Collins was 17 in 1962, his father, who took care of racehorses at the Lucas County Fairgrounds, was kicked by a horse and killed.
After finishing high school, he enlisted in the Marines for two years active duty and six years in the reserves.
He joined the Toledo Police Department in 1973 in the uniformed division, and went on to work in the vice squad, metro drug unit, and crimes against persons. He graduated from the University of Toledo, and in 1999 obtained a master’s in business administration degree at UT.
In 1988, he was elected president of the Toledo Police Patrolman's Association and continued until he retired in 1999. Mr. Collins said he negotiated the best police salary and benefit package in the state.
From his first marriage, which ended in divorce, he had three daughters, Tammy Dickey, Laurie Mulligan, and Kelly Sheridan, and a son, Michael, who died in 2000 at age 29.
In 2005, Mr. Collins married Ms. Drabik, former vice president and general counsel for the University of Toledo. The couple lived on Island Avenue in South Toledo.
Ms. Hicks-Hudson, 63, a Democrat, will continue as mayor until the general election of Nov. 3 when voters will elect someone to serve the remainder of Mr. Collins’ term. Ms. Hicks-Hudson said today it was too soon to say whether she would run in November to hold the office.
Under the city charter, council has 30 days to appoint a replacement for Ms. Hicks-Hudson’s Council District 4 seat, and then the appointment responsibility falls to the mayor. Voters will elect a representative at the special election May 5.
Blade staff writers Vanessa McCray, Ryan Dunn, Taylor Dungjen, and Ignazio Messina contributed to this report.
Contact Tom Troy at: tomtroy@theblade.com and 419-724-6058 and on Twitter @TomFTroy.
First Published February 6, 2015, 7:25 p.m.
