Mr. James William Vandurea McCollum, known to his family and close friends as Billy, was born on November 28, 1951, in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He was the son of the late John Edward McCollum and Sadie Smith. Billy moved to Boston at an early age with his mother, stepfather, and siblings where he attended Boston Public Schools.

Growing up with a basketball in his hands and running shoes on his feet, Billy was a very gifted athlete. Whether playing with friends, park league football or just running through the Boston neighborhoods, he was always on the move. His basketball game was so phenomenal, he was crowned Billy Bam, for every time he made a shot, the crowd would shout “BAM!”.

Billy graduated from Jamaica Plain High School in 1970, earning varsity letters in basketball, football, and track and field. His talents also granted him recognition from the Boston Record American newspaper for his skill in cross-country running. After high school, he continued to pursue his interest in track and field by joining the Greater Boston Track Club. Later that fall, he enrolled in Bryant and Stratton Jr. College in Boston, where he majored in business and was an active member of the basketball team.

When Bryant and Stratton’s basketball program was dismantled in 1971, Billy transferred to Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, Vermont. There he became an active member of Lyndon’s basketball team, joined the rescue squad, and switched his major to physical education. However, when a job opportunity presented itself, Billy left college in 1973 to work for General Electric Aerospace in Lynn, MA. For 38 years, he worked as a Non-Destructive Testing Specialist where he tested aircraft and turbine engine parts for defects.

In the fall of 1975, he met and married the love of his life, Corrine Pritchard. Together, they raised two daughters, Sasha and Yolanda. Over their 50-year union, they shared countless joys such as traveling, candlepin bowling, playing board games, cheering on their daughters at the United States Youth Games (where Billy served as a track and field coach), visiting casinos, and spending cherished time with family and friends.

After retiring from GE Aerospace in 2011, sports continued to play a major role in Billy’s life. He became an official with both Mass Track and Field and USA Track & Field. He stayed active by coaching and officiating middle school, high school, and college track meets, specializing in two of his favorite events, the long jump and the triple jump.

To know Billy is to know that he loved competition as a participant and spectator. He was a Boston Marathon enthusiast and volunteer for over 30 years. In addition to sports, he loved to play board games, especially Scrabble where he kept his opponents stumped for endless hours trying to beat his score. In his leisure time you would find him just relaxing at home watching sports, science fiction and slapstick comedy movies.

He was a kind and gentle soul and brought comfort to everyone around him. He was a loving husband, admiring father, supportive brother, cherished uncle, and loyal friend. He will be missed immensely.

Billy is preceded in death by his parents, John McCollum and Sadie Smith, his sister, Brenda Moore, his brothers, Garfield Smith, Jr., Ivery Smith, and Michael McCollum, and his beloved aunts Ruth Duncan and Madie Long.

He leaves to cherish his memory his wife Corrine McCollum, his daughters, Sasha Worthy (Regina) and Yolanda McCollum, his brother John Long (Beverly), his sister Johnetta Wilson, his grandson Quinton Worthy, his sisters-in law Denise Pritchard, Myra Pritchard (Jeffrey), Susan Reid (Esau), his brother-in-law Kenneth Pritchard, Sr. (Beverly), his loving aunt Nancy Pritchard, his dear cousin Sandra “Kube” Long and a host of nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.