Lavina Collins

I had the honor of reporting to Ms. Lavina Collins at the Irish Embassy, New Delhi, from 2009-2012. Lavina trusted people and provided enough space to do their best while being bold to correct anything or anybody, to ensure common good. She was spontaneous to spot professional and personal needs of colleagues, and with due admonishing, was gracious to grant a second chance to those who erred. Whenever I had typed out a request for leave, Lavina would generously respond with a loud “Enjoy!” from her room. May her soul rest in peace!

It was sad to hear of the passing of Lavina. She was genuine. A colleague who was always generous with her time .Her interest in people was the first thing you noticed about her. When you combined this with her infectious humour, you knew you were in the presence of a wonderful woman. I will always think fondly of her.

Very sorry and saddened to hear the news of Lavina’s passing. We met regularly in Beijing and she was incredibly supportive of our work in China. We will miss her. Our condolences to all her other friends and family.

Belated but sincere condolences to Lavina's sisters, brother, wider family and friends on her untimely passing. Ar dheis De go raibh a h-anam dilis.

I was shocked and saddened at hearing of Lavina's sudden death. I had the privilege to meet with her during my time at the Belgian Embassy in Delhi and my daughter and I spent our last two weeks of my assignment at her place. Always joyful.. Great colleague, great person, great friend... My deepest condolences to her family. She will be missed.
Anne-France and Lynn

Sincerest Condolences to Margot, and to Ann, Elaine and Mark on hearing the very sad news of the untimely passing of your dear sister Lavina. My thoughts and prayers are with you all at this very sad and difficult time. May She Rest in Peace.

I was shocked and saddened at hearing of Lavina's sudden death.We worked together in the passport office in the London Embassy many years ago and I have such great memories of those days.We met up again in DFA but sadly we lost touch after I retired.
I send deepest condolences to her sisters and brother.
May Lavina rest in peace,
Dympna Coughlan

My belated but sincere condolences to Lavina’s family and friends on her shocking and untimely passing. There is little I can add to the many eloquent accolades already so deservedly paid to Lavina. She was the finest of civil servants and great company. Did any officer in the Department ever serve in as many different posts as she did? If the Department had a Hall of Fame, Lavina would surely grace it.

My deepest sympathies to all the Collins family. I had the good fortune to work together with Lavina during her assignment at the Irish Embassy in Beijing.

Lavina worked tirelessly on behalf of the Irish community here in China, providing much assistance to the many Irish citizens located in China, struggling far from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lavina was undoubtedly a highly intelligent, talented diplomat. She deserves to be remembered for giving so much of her life to the Irish State and the Irish People.

It is heart breaking to know she has passed on from this world far too young, and will not be afforded the time to enjoy a well-earned retirement.

Hopefully the fact that she impacted so many lives so positively can provide you solace in the dark days ahead.

Deepest sympathies Margot and family. May Lavina rest in peace.
Marie
Dublin

Deepest sympathies to Margot & Ann and all the Collins Family on the very sad passing of Lavina May she Rest in Peace

We were so shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Lavina.Our sincerest sympathies go out to you all.Margot,Anne,Elaine and Mark may God give you the strength to get through this difficult time.Rest in Peace Lavina.

I'm so sorry to hear about Lavina's passing. She was a wonderful colleague, so committed to her various roles and the Department - and she did everything with a great sense of humour. I have really good memories of working with her in our time together in London. My sincere condolences to all her family.

To Mark and the girls and all who feel your loss,,our deepest sympathy on the passing of Lavina.May she rest in peace.

Deeply saddened to hear of Lavinia's death. She was a colleague of great insight, warmth and commitment. Always shrewd in her reading of people and issues, she was also enormous fun and I have the warmest memories of her, especially in the time we spent together in the Embassy Washington. Deepest condolences to her family and friends.

I am very shocked and sorry to hear that Lavina has passed away. She was a lovely woman and a good neighbour. Sincere condolences to Margot, Joyce and all of Lavina’s family members. May she rest in peace.

Ann, I am so sorry to hear of the sudden passing of Lavina, may she rest in peace.

I am very sad to hear of Lavina’s sudden death.

With tears in my eyes, I remember all that she did for me during here time in Delhi. It will never forget her kindness. May her soul rest in peace.

Sincere condolences to Margot, Ann, Elaine, Mark and your families on the shocking and untimely passing of dear Lavina. Honoured to have meet her in person (on the few occasions that Covid allowed) since her arrival in The Hague over a year ago I am saddened to think we can never enjoy the positive, helpful, witty, fun, professional and energetic Lavina in person again.

Thank you for your support/advice to the Irish Community in The Netherlands particularly Irish Club Netherlands/ Den Haag GAA. R.I.P. Lavina

Deepest sympathies to Lavina's family & friends. So sad to hear of her untimely death, May she rest in peace.

I was very shocked to hear of Lavina's passing. My deepest sympathy to Lavina's family at this difficult time. I have many fond memories of my time working with Lavina in Belfast. She looked out for everyone and was great company to be around.

So sad to hear of Lavina's early death, when she was in such full and active life. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sí. Deepest sympathy to all her family.

I have the fondest memories of Lavina from working together in Dublin and Belfast. A warm and compassionate colleague, always the best of company, with an observant eye and a wicked sense of humour. Always dependable in a crisis, devoted to her job and those around her, the ultimate team player. Her openness to challenging postings showed her strength of character as well as her deep loyalty to the Department and the State. Lavina will be hugely missed. May she rest in peace.

Please accept my sincere condolences on Lavina's passing. May She Rest in Peace. I had the pleasure of working with Lavina many years ago in the Department of Foreign Affairs during her time in the Minister's Office prior to her move to the Embassy in Washington. I left Ireland in 2003 to work in International Development and unfortunately our paths never crossed again. Her kindness to me during our time working together is something I will always cherish.

I wish to express deepest condolences to Lavina's sisters, brother and wider family and to her many friends on behalf of all her friends and colleagues here in the Embassy of Ireland in Beijing. We were very shocked and deeply saddened to hear news of Lavina's passing. She was a much loved and respected member of our team and we have very fond memories of our time together. Lavina brightened all our lives and she will be greatly missed. RIP Lavina.

I would like to express my condolences to all the family and friends of Lavina following her sad passing. She was a wonderful colleague and she will be missed by many in the Department. She will be in our thoughts.

I am very sorry to hear of Lavina’s passing. She was very special and will be sadly missed by her many friends and colleagues. My sincere sympathies to her family. My thoughts are with you at this sad time. May she rest in peace.

Deepest condolences to Lavina’s sisters, brother and all her extended family. Her untimely passing was a great shock to all of us working closely with her at the Irish Embassy in The Hague. Her experience, common sense, humour, decency and ability to see clearly what was important made her an invaluable colleague and friend to us all. Additionally I had the privilege of know her in the Department of Foreign Affairs for over 30 years in many of her key roles. She was around for and contributed much to many “big moments”. She will be greatly missed. RIP Lavina

Deepest Sympathy to Margot, Ann, Elaine, Mark and the extended Collins Family. Reading the lovely condolence messages and tributes, it is clear that Lavina was a very special person. May She Rest in Peace.

Heartfelt sympathies to Margot, Ann, Elaine and Mark. Lavina was a remarkable lady and I enjoyed our many chats. She will be missed. Thinking of you all. Rest easy Lavina.

Deepest sympathies to Lavina's sisters & wider family. So sad to hear of her untimely death, and to lose the warm, wise, funny & generous character that she was. May she rest in peace.

Elaine, Ann, Margot, Mark and extended family, deepest sympathy on the death of Lavina. Thoughts and prayers go out to all of you at this difficult time. God bless you all, Vronnie, Steve, Matt and Lily.

Bernadette and I were shocked and deeply saddened to learn yesterday of Lavinas untimely death when we received SecGen Hacketts eloquent and well deserved tribute to her memory.
As is abundantly clear from these tributes,Lavina's role in the Department was far more important than her nominal rank. She had true compass in her unfailing ability to distinguish between issues of genuine importance and those arising from the vanities and personality issues inevitable in a large organisation.She was deeply serious and effective without ever being solemn,and her wry and humorous personality defused many problems without alienating anyone involved.She leaves only golden memories and an example of dedicated and intelligent
public service which all those who knew her will long remember and cherish
Deepest condolences to all her family.I hope they will draw comfort from the knowledge that her contribution was unique and outstanding,not least on issues of peace in Northern Ireland.

Sincere sympathy to the Collins family on the loss of Lavina. May she rest in peace.

My sincere condolences to all the Collins family on the passing of Lavina. She lived life to the full.

My sincere condolences to Lavina’s family and friends. The news of her passing has come as a great shock to me. I was fortunate enough to work with Lavina in The Hague this past year and we were so lucky to have her on the team. I will miss her kindness, support and advice as well as all the laughs we had. May she rest in peace.

My condolences to Lavina family so sad Rest in peace Livina

Lavina will be greatly missed. She was a great friend to our family and was a very kind, good-humoured and friendly person. Lavina could always be relied on to help out someone in need and many, many times I contacted her about Drogheda people abroad who really needed advice and help. She never said no and whether the call was to Washington, Delhi, Beijing or London the request was always answered and assistance offered.

A rare and special friend Lavina will always be remembered and never forgotten. I met many of her friends at the funeral and they had the kindest words for her and her family For many, many years at Christmas time, my last visit on Christmas Eve was to her late parents Jim and Madge and we always had a chat before the warm fire in the cosy room, about the events of the year and friends at home and abroad. I always had a nice bottle of wine for Lavina .
May she rest in peace . My deepest sympathy to her sisters Margot, Ann, Elaine and brother Mark and the wider family. I will have a special drink in her memory tonight .

My sincere condolences to the Collins family on Lavina’s passing. May she rest in peace .

So very saddened to hear about the passing of Lavina. I knew Lavina through her time with the International Fund for Ireland and afterwards. I remember Lavina for the special person she was and for the particular support she gave to me and my family. My condolences to Lavina's family, you are all in our thoughts. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam. Rest in Peace Lavina.

It was a great shock to learn of Lavina’s untimely passing. Lavina was a wonderful colleague and friend to so many in the Department and will be much missed. Sincere sympathy to all her family.

Very sad to learn of Lavina’s passing. Sincere condolences to Margot, Ann, Elaine and Mark and Lavina’s other family and many friends.

I was shocked and greatly saddened to hear of Lavina’s passing.
I wish to send my deepest sympathy to all her family and wide circle of friends.
I had the pleasure of knowing her for many years in theDepartment of Foreign Affairs.She was an outstanding officer and distinguished herself in many different roles.She had great judgement and zeal but always showed both wit and wisdom in all the tasks she faced. She will be greatly missed and long remembered.
May her gentle soul rest in peace.
Denis and Mary Malin.

Sincere sympathy to Ann and family on Lavina's passing. May she rest in peace.

Sincere Condolences to Margot and the Collins Family on the passing of your beloved Sister Lavina. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. May she rest in peace.

I had the good fortune to get to know Lavina, when both of us were involved in The DFA golf society. She was a wonderful woman, confident, funny, pragmatic and sincere. I wish to extend my sincere sympathies to all the members of her family and friends.

My sincere sympathies to Margot, Ann, Elaine, Mark & extended family on the sad and untimely passing of Lavina. She was a great colleague over our many years together in the Dept of Foreign Affairs.
My thoughts & prayers are with you all at this difficult time. May she rest in peace.

So sorry to hear of Lavina’s passing. It's a shock when someone with such great life and happiness leaves us. Sincere sympathies to all her family,friends and colleagues. She will be greatly missed by everyone. May Lavina rest in peace.

I am very sorry and shocked to hear of Lavina's untimely passing. I knew her in London, she was one in a million, a warm and witty person. My sincere sympathy to all her family. RIP Lavina.

I wish to express my shock and sympathy to Lavina's family and friends on her untimely passing.
Lavina was a great colleague who I met back in The British-Irish Joint Secretariat in Belfast in the early post Good Friday Agreement days. These were challenging and risky times greatly made easier by Lavina's welcoming presence and personality. May her soul rest in Peace and great memories sustain all who are lucky to have known her.

I was so sorry to hear of Lavina’s passing. I have so many fond memories of her as a colleague when we worked together in the International Fund for Ireland.. Forever kind and thoughtful . Rest in peace, Lavina.

Sincere condolences and sympathies to the Collins family on the sad passing of Lavina. May she rest in peace.

My sincere condolences. I have such happy fun memories of lovely Lavina. Sending you love and strength to help your broken hearts

Our sincere sympathy to Ann, Margot and the Collins family on the sad and untimely passing of Lavina. May she rest in peace.

With sincere sympathy on the passing of Lavina, all too soon. She was a wonderful character, generous to a fault and very kind to us in Beijing. Andrew and Mary

Lavina was one of the very first people I worked with when I joined my first Department - DFA back in 1991. I was both in awe and fear of her at the same time! I really looked up to her and admired her greatly. Our paths crossed intermittently over the years and there was always a laugh and a joke shared. Lavina was part of the beating heart and backbone of DFA and will be sorely missed. She now joins the many many iconic Irish women who sadly have been taken way before their time. Too bad that Lavina has gone. May her lovely soul now have a rest in eternal peace. With sincere sympathy to her beloved family and to all the friends and colleagues who loved her dearly.

Lavina, you did your country no small service. You were a great colleague and a smashing woman to know, and you’ll really be missed.

So sorry to hear this sad news. I feel lucky to have worked with her in Delhi. She was a dear friend and mentor as well as a colleague. If Lavina didn’t know something, she knew who knew; such was her ability to connect with people. My deepest sympathies to her family. I remember well her devotion to her late parents and family. I remember her joy at showing some of her family India. She’ll be terribly missed.

Very sorry and saddened to hear of Lavina's passing. My deepest condolences to her family. She was a truly wonderful colleague - we were posted together in London where we shared many happy days together. I always enjoyed and appreciated her humour and warmth. May she rest in peace, xx

I was shocked and saddened to hear of Lavina’s death. We worked together on a number of occasions ; Lavinia was committed and professional and always great company. My deepest sympathies to her family. We will all miss her.
May she Rest in Peace.