Moment of Silence John Collins, FASLA (1936-2011)

''I wanted students that would look at nature, not pave over it. The thing that really excited me was the potential combination of horticulture and landscape architecture.'' - John Collins, FASLA, on developing the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture at Temple University Ambler

John F. Collins, 75, a landscape architect, urban planner, nurseryman, and educator, died of complications of Parkinson's disease Aug. 5, 2011 at home in Glenside, Pa.

Mr. Collins was raised in Conshohocken, Pa. He became interested in horticulture as a teenager and started a commercial nursery in the family backyard.

In 1963, early in his career, Mr. Collins designed the greenways in Society Hill, a pedestrian walk from St. Peter's Episcopal Church to Independence National Historical Park. He used only plants and materials found naturally in the Philadelphia area. He believed native plants were the backbone of the planted landscape and should not be neglected in favor of the exotic and unusual. He first drew plans for Schuylkill River Park in 1965. He had inmates on work-release cut grass, fertilize, weed, and prune trees along the river.

John Collins drew plans for Schuylkill River Park in Philadelphia in 1965, but it wasn't until 40 years later the 1.2-mile riverfront path was finally opened to pedestrians and bicyclists. Photo: South garden of River Park, from ''Historic Restoration of Fairmount Water Works,'' William Menke, RLA, project landscape architect www.landscapearchitect.com/research/article/11737 (March 2009 LASN).

Other projects included renovation of the Market East corridor and pocket parks throughout Philadelphia.

His son Christopher recalls his father's 1978 Chestnut Street Park design. When the park's maintenance monies petered out, the family weeded, mulched and cleaned out the park fountain.

Besides heading his architectural firm, Delta Group, Mr. Collins was founding chairman of the landscape architecture and horticulture department at Temple University Ambler in 1988. His students and faculty regularly won prizes at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

He taught at the School of Architecture and Planning in New Delhi, India, and served as a lecturer, professor and visiting studio critic for landscape architecture programs at many American universities.

In 1998, he retired from Temple and donated his pencil drawings to the campus Learning Center. The school established the John F. Collins Scholarship in Landscape Architecture in his honor. In retirement he returned to his lifelong passion for horticulture, operating the Collins Nursery from his home in Glenside until his death.

Mr. Collins is survived by his wife, Sandra, children Kathleen, John, Christopher, and Matthew, and grandchildren Jean, Liam and Paige.