Dr. Ken Collier
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Ken Collier, 60, of Nacogdoches, Texas passed away on Sunday June 14th at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He was laid to rest at a private family ceremony at Woodside Cemetery in Grand Saline, TX. A memorial was held via social media.
A professor in the Political Science program at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA), Dr. Collier was well respected among his peers in the faculty, and was frequently seen in the stands at SFA athletic events.
Ken graduated from Longview High School and attended Kilgore College before enrolling at the University of Texas, where he earned both a bachelor's and doctoral degree in history and government. While in Austin, he met and married Sandy Benavides. They then moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where he taught at the University of Kansas in the department of Political Science and worked in the athletics department as their webmaster.
He joined the SFA faculty in 1999, teaching courses on the presidency, elections and Texas politics. He authored several books including "Between the Branches: The White House Office of Legislative Affairs", co-author of "Lone Star Politics," a textbook on Texas politics currently in its sixth edition, and "Whose Line Is It? Rhetoric and Representation in the White House". He also published articles in journals, including the Journal of Politics, White House Studies, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Public Choice, and Social Science Quarterly.
Ken was a fierce advocate, mentor, and friend to his students and would go the extra mile to support them. He ran the Texas Legislative Internship Program, sponsored numerous student organizations, and attended many SFA athletic events. He served as the faculty athletic representative for the last three years, a position he immensely enjoyed. He also created several scholarships including the George H.W. Bush Scholarship, and the Collier Family Scholarship.
Ken had many hobbies and enjoyed travelling, especially if he had a chance to catch up with the people he loved. He treasured his annual father-daughter trips to Arlington, TX to visit Six Flags and watch the Rangers beginning when Nicole was seven until this past summer. His anniversary trips with Sandy were often strategically planned to coincide with any SFA teams that were competing in the area. He attended any major or minor league baseball game within a 50-mile radius of where he was and enjoyed a wide variety of shows from Rick and Morty, to Battlebots, to Dr. T, Lone Star Vet. His dry and witty humor will be missed by all.
Ken is survived by his wife, Sandy Benavides Collier, daughter, Nicole Collier of College Station, and mother, Betty Lyn Collier of Longview. He is also survived by father-in-law Heberto Benavides of Nacogdoches, brother-in-law Jerry Benavides (Treicy Soto), and nephew and nieces Esteban, Renata, and Catalina Benavides-Soto of Miami, FL uncle Jim (Cathy) Bruner of Loveland, CO, aunt Barbara Collier of Grand Saline, cousins Phyllis (Howard) Lisby of Fort Worth, Jason Theilengerdes (George Ward) of Austin, Steve (Kate) Bruner of St. Petersburg, FL, Jennifer Maynard (Phil) of Fayetteville, AR , and, and his furry children; Lily, Petunia and grand-dog Hampton. He is preceded in death by his father, Joe Collier, mother-in-law Amparo Benavides, uncle William "Buzz" Collier, aunt Bobbie Dunn, cousins Andrea Dunn Theilengerdes and Ross Collier, and lots of furry pets.
To view the memorial, you can visit Ken Collier's Facebook profile.
In lieu of flowers, etc. please consider giving to the Legislative Internship Program, which can be found on his Facebook page or by visiting https://graphite.sfasu.edu/give/university-affairs/collier-endowment .
The Collier family is being served by Laird Funeral Home. To convey condolences or to sign an online register, please visit www.lairdfh.net.