Frederick (Bud) Collom passed away at home from emphysema on Wednesday, January 28 at 5:00 P.M. after four weeks of devoted home care by his wife of 18 years, Maryann Collom.
Bud was born in Arnold, Nebraska on October 31, 1919. He moved with his family to Sterling, Colorado where he fell in love with airplanes as a teenager. He graduated high school in 1938 joining the Navy on March 17, 1939 to become a member of an elite group of Navy pilots who rose through the enlisted ranks, retiring as a Commander in 1967. He was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and a veteran of WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam. After retirement, he became a flight instructor at Two Genes Aviation at South County Airport until 1996, logging over 44,000 hours of total career flight time.
He was predeceased by his wife of 41 years, Ruth Mae Collom in 1991 and survived by their four children: Terry A. Collom and his wife Lori (Lexington Park, MD); Patricia L. Fisk and her husband David (Lincoln, CA); Nancy R. Nishimura and her husband Gary (Gilroy); and Peter M. Collom, PhD and his wife MaryJo (Gilroy). He is survived as well by four stepdaughters: Anna M. Green and husband Jerry (Atwater, C A); Stella L. Chapman and husband Wayne (Firebaugh, CA); Mary A. Solari and husband Don (Gilroy); and Donna L. Green and husband Michael (San Antonio, TX). He is survived also by a niece, Helen White (Sterling, CO) and her two sons (Derry and Deane), nine grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren and a sister-in-law, Wanda M. Jackson (Stockton, CA).
He was a life member of Pearl Harbor Survivors (VP-14), life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (Post 6309), member of American Legion (Post 0217), Elks Club, Kaneohe Klippers, and Silver Eagles (San Francisco Wing).
His favorite piece of advice to young people was: Do what you love and the money will follow. Bud will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Visitation hours are on Wednesday, February 4th from 5:00 P.M -8:00 P.M. at Habing Family Funeral Home, 129 Fourth St, Gilroy. Funeral services are on Thursday, February 5th at 10:00 A.M. at the same location, followed by a military service 1:30 P.M. at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, 32053 McCabe Road in Gustine.
