TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - The entire Toledo community is grieving for Mayor D. Michael Collins, who served his city wholeheartedly.
Many people said they were shocked to hear the news that the mayor passed away Friday afternoon. Residents were holding onto the hope that he would recover after his cardiac arrest, but that sadly wasn't the case.
“It was really sad to hear about the mayor,” added resident Leeze Lina. “It is a very sad day for Toledo.”
“I was not expecting it at all,” said resident Chris Sanner. “He's done so much for the city. I mean, Marine, cop, everything else. It's just so hard to lose somebody like that.”
“I think he even said one time that he's never even left the town except for the Marine Corps, so he was all-time Toledo,” said Tom Pounds, president of the Toledo Free Press. “I can't say that. I've been 15 years here. So it was his entire life here, and I think he will be remembered as a solid Toledoan.”
Though he remained in critical condition for five days, many Toledoans never once thought his short time in office would end like this.
“I didn't think it would come to that because he's just been such good spirits, such good health,” said resident Gina Clemens. “I was very saddened to hear he had passed away because he had done so much for Toledo to help boost the economy back up.”
“I really believed, after Sunday even, I thought, you know, he's going to come back,” said Ed Beczynski, owner of The Blarney in downtown Toledo. “He's a strong Irishman and I really believed it was not going to happen the way it did.”
Former City Council reporter Rob Wiercinski recalls working with the mayor:
"Whenever he spoke to you, he always kind of had a twinkle in his eye, that wry smile... I enjoyed talking to D. Michael Collins because he wasn't somebody that was going to let someone else form his opinion for him,” said Wiercinski. "The next time I purchase a beverage it's going to be a Guinness and I'm going to tip one for D. Michael Collins."
And others across the city are paying tribute, and keeping the mayor and his family in their thoughts.
“I think all of our thoughts and prayers are with them and I just hope that they're able to get through this really hard time,” said Lina.
“And we just raised a pint of Guinness to our mayor,” Beczynski said.
