Longtime resident Jack Collins celebrates milestone birthday turning 100

Jack Collins celebrated his 100th birthday last week.

“Every week for me is really, really nice,” he said. “It’s been a great ride and it’s still going.”

Collins was born and raised in Whitefish, and spent much of his adult life here.

“Whitefish has been a great place to live and a wonderful place to raise a family,” he said.

Collins has three sons, four grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Most of his family was expected at his birthday party on Saturday.

He grew up on Columbia Avenue in town and left to become a dental technician joining an apprenticeship program in Eugene, Oregon. He finished his training and then the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, so he joined the U.S. Navy working in a dental lab.

After serving for four year he was discharged, and spent seven years in Billings in a dental laboratory there before deciding to return to Whitefish.

“I took a job running a service station for three years and I had a dental lab in my basement,” he said. “I would work with dentists and that helped raise the kids and so forth.”

He was a partner in a dental lab in Kalispell before opening Collins Dental Lab in Whitefish. He was in the dental lab business for 51 years working with dentists creating crowns, dentures and bridges.

Collins first worked at Whitefish Lake Golf Club while he was in high school and is the longest living member of golf club. He is also the last surviving member of the original Hellroaring Ski Club.

“I was never good at golf, but I liked being with people and it’s a pleasant place to spend time at the golf course,” he said.

Collins says he started skiing Big Mountain before there were any lifts up the mountain.

“There’s wouldn’t be as many skiers today if that was still a thing,” he says with a smile.

His favorite recreation later in life was to ride his bicycle, but now he goes for walks around The Springs at Whitefish where he has resided for the last year. His son takes him to the golf course too, where he has a chance to enjoy looking out at the greens.

“I like to be outside every day,” he said. “Even if the weather is bad I will sit and get fresh air anyway.”

Collins says there’s no secret to his longevity.

“There’s a certain amount of luck to it,” he said. “I have a beautiful family and a host of wonderful friends.”