Beloved wife, escrow agent, lover of adventure

Susie Collins died peacefully in Palm Springs on Thursday, September 26 with her husband Bob by her side. She was 72.

Mrs. Collins was born in Pomona on March 20, 1941, the first of four children, to a news reporter/guitarist Harrison Stephens and a female pilot/singer Doris Landrum. The couple met while Mr. Stephens was on a story assignment about Ms. Landrum.

After high school, Mrs. Collins attended UCLA and Cal Poly Pomona, married Steven Reeder of Redlands and raised two sons in Banning, where she taught school for a few years.

After the marriage ended, Mrs. Collins became an escrow officer for nearly the rest of her life, moving to the desert and working all over southern California. In 1984, she met Bob Collins, who became the love of her life, and they celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary this year. Mr. and Mrs. Collins made many friends together, teaching Western dancing in the desert where she was active in the community and serving with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians on the Tribal Planning Commission.

Eventually, they moved to the Big Bear Lake area, where Mrs. Collins was very active in the community through many organizations, including poetry and music groups, the Wyatt Posse, The Bear Valley Center For Spiritual Enrichment and various fundraising committees. She took a break from the office world for a few years and, with Mr. Collins, enjoyed an adventurous stint driving big rigs all over the United States before returning to the escrow and title business, which kept her very busy until her retirement just a few months ago.

Mrs. Collins is survived by her husband, Bob Collins of Palm Springs; by her father, Harrison Stephens of Claremont; by her brothers, Don Stephens of Moraga and David Hulse-Stephens of Willits; by her sister, Sally Reeder of Oxnard; by her sons, Stephen Reeder of Morro Bay and Scott Reeder of Banning and their respective spouses, and by many nieces and nephews and their children.

On Bob’s side, she leaves two daughters, Terri Preston of South Wales and Laura Collins-Harling of Cathedral City, and a son, Michael Collins of Cathedral City, as well as their spouses, and eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Mrs. Collin’s life will be held on Sunday, October 6 at 5 p.m. in the North Course Clubhouse at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort, 1100 E. Murray Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.