Graveside services for Clifford Eugene ‘Gene’ Collings, 83, McAlester, formerly of Ada, are 2 p.m. Monday at Rosedale Cemetery. Marshall Henson will officiate. The family will receive friends 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Criswell Funeral Home.
Mr. Collings died Friday, July 17, 2015, at his home. He was born Jan. 6, 1932, to Roy and Dessie Tilley Collings at Ada. He graduated high school in Fresno, California. He and Yolanda Fay Campbell were married April 17, 1953, and soon after he served in the Korean War. Mr. Collings served 20 years in the United States Air Force. He worked in computer maintenance and attended schools for that profession in New York, Detroit and Biloxi. His family spent time in Turkey in 1967-69.
After retiring from the Air Force he returned to Ada and lived there until 1973 when he moved to West Monroe, Louisiana. There he attended the Whites Ferry Road School of Biblical Studies. He moved to Stuart where he preached until 1978. At that time he moved to Flint, Michigan, where he became the director of Bristol Road School of Biblical Studies for 10 years.
He spent time in Jamaica, Ghana, Liberia and the Ivory Coast serving in mission work and made four mission trips to Kenya. He was a song leader at workshops all over the United States. He loved hunting and fishing with his brothers-in-law in Colorado and Oregon.
Survivors include his wife, Yolanda, of the home; two daughters, DeVonna Lynn Edwards and husband Tony, McAlester, and Vicki Rene Covington and husband Dennis, West Monroe, Louisiana; a son, Cary DeWitt and his wife Julie, McAlester; one brother, Ted Collings of California; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, Michael Eugene Collings; his parents; six brothers, Murry, Earl, Doug, Leroy, Ken and Bob; and his sister, Leona Crawford.
Obituaries may be viewed and online condolences sent to criswellfh.com.
Criswell Funeral Home, Ada
