Gertrude May F. B. Collins (born August 16, 1941 in Harper KS) passed away on April 15, 2026 from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. She was at her home in Wichita, under constant care from her son Aaron and daughter Rachael, with additional weekly support from hospice.

Trudy was unique in every sense of the word, truly one of a kind. She moved from Harper at a young age to Wichita, where her mother Maxine worked as a bookkeeper. Trudy attended Wichita State University to study art, where she associated with luminaries of the late 50s-early 60s scene in Wichita and Lawrence. She married painter John Gary Brown, and their son Aaron was born in 1964. After their separation she moved with her son to Wichita. She married writer Tom Collins, who died in a motorcycle accident on Christmas Day, 1971. Their daughter Rachael was born in 1972.

Trudy was a complex person, with many interests besides art. She was well read, with a rich inner life, and a generous humanitarian nature. She loved to spend time in her organic garden, where she grew vegetables, flowers, berries, and even her own tobacco. She walked her own path, and steered by the stars. She was loved by many, and will be badly missed.

Services will be private. An informal dinner or gathering may be organized via Facebook. In lieu of flowers, please remember and celebrate Trudy's life in your own way, as she would have wanted.