Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Clifford Carmalt Jr. COLLINGS
lifford Carmalt Collings, Jr., born August 6, 1917 in Riverton, NJ. Died Sunday, November 2, 2014. He is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Helen Pennock Collings and his four children Clifford Carmalt Collings, III, Sherri Collings Kielland, Charles Pennock Collings, and Helen Johnson Collings. Cliff attended The Haverford School, and graduated from Lower Merion High School. He was accepted to the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. During his time at Penn, besides studying, he loved sports; playing lacrosse, winning the lightweight boxing championship with a Golden Glove designation, and being on the lightweight football team obtaining an All-American designation. He was also a proud member of Psi-Upsilon fraternity. He graduated the Wharton Business School in 1940. With increasing unrest in Europe, and after graduating from Penn, a family friend suggested that Cliff enroll in military training. Taking the advice, Cliff enrolled in the Navy V-7, Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School, which had been recently established at Northwestern University in September 1940. Immediately after graduating Midshipmen's School he was assigned to command YP "yippie" 219 patrolling the Delaware River. New orders soon arrived for Captain Collings. He was to take the YP 210 and his crew down to Trinidad where there was an influx of German submarines. (There is a chapter dedicated to this mission in the book Navy's War by Fletcher Pratt, called "Caribbean Command" - even though the author misspells the Collings name.) On the way down to Trinidad, running out of fuel and food, the YP 210 was able to get towed by larger Navy craft at night in order to save the precious fuel that was left. By the time the YP 210 reached Trinidad she was so badly damaged that Lieutenant Collings was given command of YP 75. He and his crew patrolled the waters for German submarines, and rescued Merchant Marine survivors from the oil-fired waters . Completing his assignment in the Caribbean, Cliff returned to the United States. His next assignment was Gunnery Officer on the USS Oswald DE 767, running convoy missions in the rough and frigid waters of the North Atlantic. On April 7, 1945, with only a few short days of leave, Cliff was married to his long-time fiance, Helen Pennock. They had a quick one-day honeymoon when he received orders once again, this time to the Pacific after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was assigned to the USS St Paul as Damage Control Officer. The St Paul was the ship that fired the last salvo on Japan and then rode into Tokyo Bay, battle flags flying, with Admiral Halsey's fleet on the day of the surrender, September 2, 1945. Cliff described the cautious and eerie progression of the fleet sailing into Tokyo Bay, seeing white flags waving from the shoreline. After WWII Cliff continued as a Navy reservist and was Honorably Discharged holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander. While a Navy reservist he was hired and worked at the investment firm of CC Collings &Co, founded in 1924, by Cliff's father, Clifford C. Collings, Sr. Cliff later became President and Chairman and remained with the company for more than 50 years. CC Collings was instrumental in putting together municipal deals in every county in Pennsylvania allowing small towns throughout Pennsylvania to grow and prosper. Cliff was highly regarded for his knowledge and expertise in the investment field. Among the many memberships some included: Member of The Union League - Admissions Committee, and the Blue Anchor Table; Rotary Club, Merion Cricket Club, and Gulph Mills Golf Club. His philanthropy extended to Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, and the recipient of the YMCA Service Award from 1969 - 1979. For pleasure, Cliff traveled throughout the world with his best friend and loving wife, Helen. He was especially proud of the fact that he traveled to every state in the United States and that his ancestry can be traced back to the settlement of Collingswood, New Jersey in 1682. He spent his summers on Squam Lake in New Hampshire where he climbed the Presidential range and much of the White Mountains. He was a true outdoorsman and loved playing tennis and golf. His hobbies included story-telling, singing, and home improvement projects. A Memorial service will be held at 11 AM on November 8, 2014 at The Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
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