Overview

• Patricia 'Pat' Collins, mother of Republican Sen. Susan Collins and a civic-minded matriarch, has passed away at 96.
• Pat Collins was celebrated for her public service, including being the first woman elected mayor in Caribou and chair of the University of Maine System Board of Trustees
• She was known for her artistic talents, painting watercolor portraits and publishing two cookbooks.
• Democratic Gov. Janet Mills praised Pat Collins as a 'friend and trailblazer' with an 'extraordinary character, marked by grace and integrity.'
• Pat Collins is survived by five of her children, 11 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.