Obituary for Rev. Will Collier
Rev. Will Collier,69, transitioned to his reward on Friday, May 28, 2021, passing
away peacefully at home in his sleep. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ethel
Burke & Daniel Collier, grandparents, Betty and Roosevelt Briggs, Sr.
Will was born in Helena, Arkansas where he attended West Side Elementary and
Eliza Miller High School. Will loved going to church, singing gospel music and
everything associated with church activities early in his life. He confessed to Christ at
an early age. While in Junior High and High School, Will started performing in the
talent shows put on by the school. After high school , in 1970, Will attended the
University of Pine Bluff, Arkansas for a short time. It was his decision at that point to
enlist in the military. He decided to join the U.S. Navy and later received his Honorable
Discharge in 1972. After his time in the Navy, with no formal musical training, Will took
his God-given talent and began playing the piano or the organ for various churches
throughout the Helena Arkansas area. He served as the musician for King Solomon
Missionary Baptist Church & Galilee Missionary Baptist Church of Helena, Arkansas.
The Late Rev, Purcell Perkins pastored both churches.
Before moving to Toledo, Will sang with several gospel groups in the Arkansas
area which included The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, The Spiritual Harmonizers and
The Original Sunset Travelers. Will traveled across the country with each group to sing
Gods’ praises, spreading the word of God, not only through singing, but also through
preaching.
The Obituary
While spreading the word as a licensed minister, Will achieved the ultimate goal
that God had planned for him. He went through the Ordination process, and became
an Ordained Minister on October 13, 1981 at the New Light Baptist Church in Helena,
Arkansas.
In 1983, Will decided to move to Toledo and quickly began singing and playing
the piano for his Aunt, the late Ella Pickett, who passed away in October 2018. He also
joined the Galilee Missionary Baptist Church under Pastor Otis W. Jones, where Ella,
Deacon Pickett and all the family were members at the time. Later, he joined the St.
Mark Missionary Baptist Church under Pastor I.J. Johnson. In between preaching and
singing, Will found time to meet the love of his life, Vara Colquitt, on January 15,1986 at
a Martin Luther King Memorial Service held at Mt. Nebo Missionary Baptist Church. It
was love at first sight for both. After proposing marriage on December 25,1986, they
were married on August 17, 1987. This marriage lasted 33 years, just 3 months shy of
their 34
th
wedding anniversary. Will was employed with the Universal Security
Company as a security officer for 13 years. Health issues forced Will onto Disability in
the year 2000. Not letting that deter him, he continued to spread Gods’ word through
preaching and singing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Getting an opportunity to work with the Scott High School Marching Band,
under the direction of Ed & Avie Dixon, made a lasting impression on Wills’ life. For
more than 20 years, Will worked with the students on things such as music,
instrument preparation and marching band techniques. His inspiration reached all
the students, teachers and staff. Seeing issues with the Toledo public school system
that needed addressing, Will became a regular speaker at the school board meetings,
The Obituary
offering his input that led to various ideas that the school board took into
consideration.
Will's performances, traveling with Ella, and now his wife Vara, had taken him to
various cities for guest appearances and concert performances. His performances
included not only churches, but festivals, banquets, community colleges and
universities, and numerous television appearances on "Toledo Sings Gospel" that aired
on WTVG Channel 13 between 1990 and 2001.
He was especially blessed to have had two appearances on Bobby Jones Gospel,
in Nashville, TN. His singing career had allowed him to produce three gospel
recordings. The first was “Traveling with the Original Sunset Travelers” on the Gospel
Roots Label. The next two were on the Shur-fine Gospel Record Label entitled "How
Sweet the Sound" with his Aunt Ella Pickett and "A Still Small Voice" with the group,
Ella Pickett and the Gospel Ensemble. Many of the songs on the last recording were
written by his cousins, Leroy and Regina Pickett.
Will was widely known for his Gospel performances during the "Gospel
Explosions" at "Portside Toledo' ' during the 1990's. He was also invited to perform at
several political rallies for Mayoral candidates Donna Owens, Jack Ford and Carleton
"Carty" S. Finkbeiner.
Some of the events that Will shared his gospel talent included
● Singing at Convalescent nursing homes
● Feed the Children Event at Belle Isle in Detroit MI
● Black Swamp Arts Festival in Bowling Green and Fremont OH
● A member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 15-286
The Obituary
● A member of the National Quartet Singing Convention of America Ind. Inc.
● A member of the Toledo Singing Quartet Chapter 70-1
● A long time member of the Gospel Tones of Toledo, Ohio
● Several Old Ship of Zion Programs
● Performed at Nash Park for Jean Overton
● Performed at all the Gospel Explosions at Promenade Park
● New Years Eve First Night Toledo at St. Paul Episcopal
● Performed at the Cherry Street Mission in Downtown Toledo
● Performed at Scott High School for the NAACP, "A Mind is A Terrible Thing to
Waste" Fundraiser Rally
● He performed at the "Swing into Spring" Events at the Holiday French Quarter
in Perrysburg OH
● He was chosen to sing at many weddings, birthday parties & homegoings
● He performed at the Tent City Events on the grounds of the Courthouse
touching the lives of many prisoners incarcerated at the Lucas County Jail
● He wrote and performed a song entitled “I Don’t Wanna Get Shot” meant to
address the youth violence raging in the city of Toledo
● His God-given musical talent allowed him to not only play piano and organ,
also the guitar, drums, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba and xylophone
● Made a cameo appearance on America’s Got Talent which aired June 7, 2016
While in Toledo, Will served as the musician for First Baptist Missionary Church,
Fremont OH (Pastor William Holmes), Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church(Pastor
J.L. Spears), Northwestern Missionary Baptist Church(Pastor Willie L. Knighten) and
last served as a musician at Charity Missionary Baptist Church(Pastor Bobby Welborn).
Will's desire to reach the masses went beyond the church walls. He said “If I can’t
convince the young people to come to the church, then I’ll go to where they are” and
that is exactly what he did. His effort to reach young people was thought to be highly
unusual, but he knew his mission was to save souls wherever they may be. Wherever
you encountered Will, you could count on one thing, that the word of God was being
spread.
The Obituary
Will cherished the many awards and presentations during his Gospel singing
career. The one that stood out for him was in 2007, when he became a recipient of the
Glass City Music Awards, Longevity Award. This was an event, much like the Gospel
Stellar Music Awards, that honored many of the Gospel Artists in and around the
Toledo area.
Will always had an unusual way of preparing his audience before he started to
perform, whether it was walking down the middle aisle while sporting a cape or a pair
of outlandish sunglasses or kicking up his leg and “lightly” tapping the end of the
piano or keyboard with the heel of his foot. It was said that some pastors claimed they
were never inviting Will Collier back again because “He broke my piano”. All in all, after
all of the antics, Will was doing nothing more than getting your attention before he
finally settled down at the keyboard and used the gift that God gave him, being grateful
for the opportunities to sing God’s praises and lift his name.
Will was a person that loved his family. Even though Vara and Will had no
children, Will, along with his wife, did not hesitate to help the family in every possible
way. He was always so happy to give and thought nothing of it. One of his greatest
pleasures was getting on the road, heading south, stopping in Nashville to visit his
cousins, then continuing on to Memphis to visit his brothers, sister-in-law, aunts,
uncles, nieces and cousins, and from there, on to visit his hometown of Helena,
Arkansas.
The Obituary
Rev. Collier leaves to cherish his memories his loving wife of 33 years Vara
Collier, 2 brothers; Marvin Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee and Robert (Magnolia)
Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee; aunts Shirley Oliver of Toledo, Ohio, Betty (Robert)
Kincade of Fontana California; uncles Roy Briggs of Los Angeles, California, Willie
(Gloria) Briggs of Atlanta, Georgia; nieces Vena Hill of Columbus, Ohio, Deborah
Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee, Sharita (Roderick) Cook of Olive Branch, Mississippi,
Kimberly Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee, Jaleesa (Derrick) King of Memphis,
Tennessee and a host of loving cousins, relatives and friends.
away peacefully at home in his sleep. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ethel
Burke & Daniel Collier, grandparents, Betty and Roosevelt Briggs, Sr.
Will was born in Helena, Arkansas where he attended West Side Elementary and
Eliza Miller High School. Will loved going to church, singing gospel music and
everything associated with church activities early in his life. He confessed to Christ at
an early age. While in Junior High and High School, Will started performing in the
talent shows put on by the school. After high school , in 1970, Will attended the
University of Pine Bluff, Arkansas for a short time. It was his decision at that point to
enlist in the military. He decided to join the U.S. Navy and later received his Honorable
Discharge in 1972. After his time in the Navy, with no formal musical training, Will took
his God-given talent and began playing the piano or the organ for various churches
throughout the Helena Arkansas area. He served as the musician for King Solomon
Missionary Baptist Church & Galilee Missionary Baptist Church of Helena, Arkansas.
The Late Rev, Purcell Perkins pastored both churches.
Before moving to Toledo, Will sang with several gospel groups in the Arkansas
area which included The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, The Spiritual Harmonizers and
The Original Sunset Travelers. Will traveled across the country with each group to sing
Gods’ praises, spreading the word of God, not only through singing, but also through
preaching.
The Obituary
While spreading the word as a licensed minister, Will achieved the ultimate goal
that God had planned for him. He went through the Ordination process, and became
an Ordained Minister on October 13, 1981 at the New Light Baptist Church in Helena,
Arkansas.
In 1983, Will decided to move to Toledo and quickly began singing and playing
the piano for his Aunt, the late Ella Pickett, who passed away in October 2018. He also
joined the Galilee Missionary Baptist Church under Pastor Otis W. Jones, where Ella,
Deacon Pickett and all the family were members at the time. Later, he joined the St.
Mark Missionary Baptist Church under Pastor I.J. Johnson. In between preaching and
singing, Will found time to meet the love of his life, Vara Colquitt, on January 15,1986 at
a Martin Luther King Memorial Service held at Mt. Nebo Missionary Baptist Church. It
was love at first sight for both. After proposing marriage on December 25,1986, they
were married on August 17, 1987. This marriage lasted 33 years, just 3 months shy of
their 34
th
wedding anniversary. Will was employed with the Universal Security
Company as a security officer for 13 years. Health issues forced Will onto Disability in
the year 2000. Not letting that deter him, he continued to spread Gods’ word through
preaching and singing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Getting an opportunity to work with the Scott High School Marching Band,
under the direction of Ed & Avie Dixon, made a lasting impression on Wills’ life. For
more than 20 years, Will worked with the students on things such as music,
instrument preparation and marching band techniques. His inspiration reached all
the students, teachers and staff. Seeing issues with the Toledo public school system
that needed addressing, Will became a regular speaker at the school board meetings,
The Obituary
offering his input that led to various ideas that the school board took into
consideration.
Will's performances, traveling with Ella, and now his wife Vara, had taken him to
various cities for guest appearances and concert performances. His performances
included not only churches, but festivals, banquets, community colleges and
universities, and numerous television appearances on "Toledo Sings Gospel" that aired
on WTVG Channel 13 between 1990 and 2001.
He was especially blessed to have had two appearances on Bobby Jones Gospel,
in Nashville, TN. His singing career had allowed him to produce three gospel
recordings. The first was “Traveling with the Original Sunset Travelers” on the Gospel
Roots Label. The next two were on the Shur-fine Gospel Record Label entitled "How
Sweet the Sound" with his Aunt Ella Pickett and "A Still Small Voice" with the group,
Ella Pickett and the Gospel Ensemble. Many of the songs on the last recording were
written by his cousins, Leroy and Regina Pickett.
Will was widely known for his Gospel performances during the "Gospel
Explosions" at "Portside Toledo' ' during the 1990's. He was also invited to perform at
several political rallies for Mayoral candidates Donna Owens, Jack Ford and Carleton
"Carty" S. Finkbeiner.
Some of the events that Will shared his gospel talent included
● Singing at Convalescent nursing homes
● Feed the Children Event at Belle Isle in Detroit MI
● Black Swamp Arts Festival in Bowling Green and Fremont OH
● A member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 15-286
The Obituary
● A member of the National Quartet Singing Convention of America Ind. Inc.
● A member of the Toledo Singing Quartet Chapter 70-1
● A long time member of the Gospel Tones of Toledo, Ohio
● Several Old Ship of Zion Programs
● Performed at Nash Park for Jean Overton
● Performed at all the Gospel Explosions at Promenade Park
● New Years Eve First Night Toledo at St. Paul Episcopal
● Performed at the Cherry Street Mission in Downtown Toledo
● Performed at Scott High School for the NAACP, "A Mind is A Terrible Thing to
Waste" Fundraiser Rally
● He performed at the "Swing into Spring" Events at the Holiday French Quarter
in Perrysburg OH
● He was chosen to sing at many weddings, birthday parties & homegoings
● He performed at the Tent City Events on the grounds of the Courthouse
touching the lives of many prisoners incarcerated at the Lucas County Jail
● He wrote and performed a song entitled “I Don’t Wanna Get Shot” meant to
address the youth violence raging in the city of Toledo
● His God-given musical talent allowed him to not only play piano and organ,
also the guitar, drums, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba and xylophone
● Made a cameo appearance on America’s Got Talent which aired June 7, 2016
While in Toledo, Will served as the musician for First Baptist Missionary Church,
Fremont OH (Pastor William Holmes), Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church(Pastor
J.L. Spears), Northwestern Missionary Baptist Church(Pastor Willie L. Knighten) and
last served as a musician at Charity Missionary Baptist Church(Pastor Bobby Welborn).
Will's desire to reach the masses went beyond the church walls. He said “If I can’t
convince the young people to come to the church, then I’ll go to where they are” and
that is exactly what he did. His effort to reach young people was thought to be highly
unusual, but he knew his mission was to save souls wherever they may be. Wherever
you encountered Will, you could count on one thing, that the word of God was being
spread.
The Obituary
Will cherished the many awards and presentations during his Gospel singing
career. The one that stood out for him was in 2007, when he became a recipient of the
Glass City Music Awards, Longevity Award. This was an event, much like the Gospel
Stellar Music Awards, that honored many of the Gospel Artists in and around the
Toledo area.
Will always had an unusual way of preparing his audience before he started to
perform, whether it was walking down the middle aisle while sporting a cape or a pair
of outlandish sunglasses or kicking up his leg and “lightly” tapping the end of the
piano or keyboard with the heel of his foot. It was said that some pastors claimed they
were never inviting Will Collier back again because “He broke my piano”. All in all, after
all of the antics, Will was doing nothing more than getting your attention before he
finally settled down at the keyboard and used the gift that God gave him, being grateful
for the opportunities to sing God’s praises and lift his name.
Will was a person that loved his family. Even though Vara and Will had no
children, Will, along with his wife, did not hesitate to help the family in every possible
way. He was always so happy to give and thought nothing of it. One of his greatest
pleasures was getting on the road, heading south, stopping in Nashville to visit his
cousins, then continuing on to Memphis to visit his brothers, sister-in-law, aunts,
uncles, nieces and cousins, and from there, on to visit his hometown of Helena,
Arkansas.
The Obituary
Rev. Collier leaves to cherish his memories his loving wife of 33 years Vara
Collier, 2 brothers; Marvin Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee and Robert (Magnolia)
Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee; aunts Shirley Oliver of Toledo, Ohio, Betty (Robert)
Kincade of Fontana California; uncles Roy Briggs of Los Angeles, California, Willie
(Gloria) Briggs of Atlanta, Georgia; nieces Vena Hill of Columbus, Ohio, Deborah
Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee, Sharita (Roderick) Cook of Olive Branch, Mississippi,
Kimberly Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee, Jaleesa (Derrick) King of Memphis,
Tennessee and a host of loving cousins, relatives and friends.