Collin

Collin George Whitmore was an old soul whose light brightened any room and whose smile would make you melt. Collin touched the lives of so many in such deep and varied ways. No words can express how much he will be missed. Collin's quiet enthusiasm for life not only shown in the sports he loved, hockey and golf but more importantly his ability to make anyone he came in contact with know that their lives were special and that people such as Collin cared in a special and humble way.  A special friend of Collin's said that most kids Collin's age see the world from their eye level down but Collin saw the world from his eye level up.

Collin was an amazing young man who Mom and Dad thought was going to be shy. That thought was far from the truth as Collin was frequently called the 'Mayor' of Sandy Hook Elementary School. Collin was as comfortable with adults as he was with children his own age as evidenced by his very mature & articulate conversations with adults. As far back as kindergarten, parents would comment on their conversations with this little boy. 

Collin proved to be a good friend to many students in his class as well as others in his school. He was once described by a classmate as " the only person who is nice to me." Collin took the time to take care of others by offering a kind word, or just an infectious smile. He was a loving big brother to his two sisters, making sure that they were always taken care of when he was around.

Collin passed away suddenly in 2016 at the age of 8 of a condition known as Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM).  

AVM is a type of vascular malformation causing an abnormal network of blood vessels where arteries shunt directly into veins instead of going through a bed of capillaries. The walls of the blood vessels affected by arteriovenus malformation are often much weaker than normal vessels and may cause ruptures or hemorrhages from which blood leaks out, possibly causing damage to the surrounding areas. AVM is classified as a “rare” disorder and there are currently no well-established risk factors for AVM.