Larry Collins and his brothers became involved in Sig Samuels Dry Cleaning in Midtown, when their father, Tom A. Collins Sr., bought the business in the early 1960s, and they took over when the elder Collins retired.
Tom A. Collins Jr. oversees daily operations. Mike Collins handles routes and finances, and serves as chief spot remover. For the past 35 years, Larry Collins was the one who met the public, dealing with a clientele that included politicians such as Congressman John Lewis and everyday people.
"He was the front man who would promise you the world and I would be the guy in the back who would make it happen," Mike Collins said. "Larry was the heartbeat of the place. He had a personality like a magnet."
In 2009, Larry Collins noticed a weakness in his legs. It was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, a terminal illness that affects muscle functions. He died on Wednesday from complications of the disease at VistaCare Hospice at Emory. He was 54.
A funeral was held on Saturday at the Spring Hill chapel of H.M. Patterson & Son, which handled arrangements.
Mr. Collins was 16 when he went to work in the dry-cleaning business. His late father started a dry-cleaning, pick-up service after returning home from World War II service in the Navy, and one of his stops was Sig Samuels at the corner of 8th Street and Monroe Drive. The elder Collins kept the name when he and a partner bought the business, now a well-known Atlanta establishment.
Mr. Collins was good at name recollection and customer service. He put in countless hours at the shop, but never grew tired of the profession.
"He woke up everyday to go to the cleaners," said Sheila Collins, his wife of 30 years.
The business has been handed down to a third generation. Mr. Collins' sons, Adam, 24, and Steve, 28, are involved in operations.
"I don't want to take anything away from his brothers, but he was the lifeblood of that place," Adam Collins said. "Outside my mom and family, he loved nothing more than that business. He told us that 99 percent of the people who come through the door could make the day better if we allow them to. I know I have big shoes to fill."
Additional survivors include his mother, Mary Collins of Stockbridge, and a brother, Jim Collins of Morgantown, W. Va.
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