George Ward remembers former Chancery Judge Curtis Collins as a &uot;compassionate man.&uot;

Collins, 81, died Thursday in Bradenton, Fla.

The former Natchez City Attorney for more than 10 years, Collins also served as Adams County Chancery Court judge from 1964 to 1974.

&uot;He had a real keen legal mind,&uot; said Ward, who now sits on the Chancery Court bench. &uot;If he got a-hold of a problem, he wasn’t going to turn it loose.&uot;

Collins, a native of Carthage, moved to Natchez in the 1950s and became an active attorney within the city. He served as city attorney prior to his term on the bench.

&uot;He was city attorney and judge during the Civil Rights era, and he was a pretty firm believer in Civil Rights,&uot; Ward said. &uot;The one thing that stands out most is he was one of these guys that nobody can deny knowing.&uot;

Collins is survived by his wife, Carrie, and a son, &uot;Curtis &uot;Sammy&uot; Collins.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Laird Funeral Home.