Deaths

Ralph D. Collins II
Captain Ralph D. Collins II, a former Panama Canal pilot, died of cancer at his home in Austin, Texas on March 21. A graduate of the Texas A&M Maritime Academy, Collins retired as a canal pilot after 22 years on the job. He is survived by his wife Mollie, son John and daughters Brami and Whitney, mother Toni and sister Theresa, and two grandchildren.

Leta Deakins Robinson
Leta Deakins Robinson, a Missouri native who lived for many years on the Atlantic side in the former Canal Zone, died on March 24 in Chandler, North Carolina after a long battle with cancer. She was 83 years old. Preceding her in passing was her late husband Floyd A. Robinson, a retired Canal Zone police officer. She was an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Panama Canal Society of Florida. Leta is survived by her son Fred Robinson, her daughter Fred (Robinson) Dunning, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Ann P. Marti
Ann P. Marti, formerly of the Canal Zone, died on March 26, as the age of 76. She came to Panama at age 16 and married Ted A. Marti, then a mule operator at the Pedro Miguel Locks. An avid shell collector, she discovered a species of mollusk that was named after her. With her husband, she was the leading force behind the first skating rink on the isthmus. She was the mother of Theodore, Douglas and Jo Ann.