Lt. Col. Carolyn B. Bitner-Collins

[ironputts]

July 5, 2022

Lt. Col. Carolyn B. Bitner-Collins
Crusader Composite Squadron
Texas Wing

Carolyn Barron Bitner-Collins was born February 2, 1937, in Collegeville, PA. She died in her home in Grand Prairie, Texas, on June 23, 2022. She had congestive heart problems.
She made her living in aviation starting in 1975. She held an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, as well as certificates for Flight Instruction and Instrument Flight Instruction for both single-engine and multi-engine aircraft. She had many thousands of hours of flight time.

She had been an adjunct professor at Mountain View College (MVC), which is part of the Dallas County colleges. She was a member of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the USAF Auxiliary, and she held the rank of Lt. Colonel. She had the rating of CAP Command Pilot. She was the maintenance officer for the aircraft at Crusader Composite Squadron and the assistant maintenance officer for Group 3 of the Texas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

She said that you don't get old till you stop having fun. She loved a joke and to kid. Her children annually wished her a happy birthday by asking, "Did you see your shadow?"

She received her Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences degree from MVC in 1984, and she was initiated into the MVC chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Fraternity. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Northwood University, summa cum laud, in 1997. And she received her Master of Aeronautical Science degree from Embry Riddle Aviation University in 2012.

She also volunteered as the alternate organist at her church and sang in the church choir.

She was married to Edward S. "Tex" Collins. He is currently an active member of the CAP with the rank of Lt. Colonel. He serves as an advisor to the Wing Commander of the Texas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

She is preceded in death by her son, Stuart Christiana. She is survived by her husband, Edward S.Collins, son, Stephen Christiana, daughter, Bunny Giddens, her sisters, Margie Green, Nancy Bitner, and Linda Courtright, numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, one great-great-granddaughter, and boatloads of nieces, nephews, other family, and a host of friends.