Are You A Rockwell Collins / Collins Aerospace Retiree?
The Collins Retirees Association is a 501(c)(4) non-profit social organization. Its purpose is to provide a place where members and their families can enjoy companionship, recreation, crafts, education, and community-welfare activities.
CRA is made up primarily of retirees of Collins Radio Co., Rockwell Collins, or Collins Aerospace in the Dallas, TX area. Membership is also open to retirees and family members from related organizations once part of Rockwell International or its spin-offs.
If you qualify, you may register to become a member and receive newsletters, emails, and meeting notices here:
Note: Your privacy is important to the organization. Your personal information will not be released outside the organization. Only CRA officers will have access to the membership roster to facilitate email distribution of Association notifications and meeting announcements.
There are no membership fees — only goodwill donations.
INFORMATION NEED
One of CRA’s primary goals is to collect and preserve historical descriptions and photographs of significant Rockwell Collins/Collins Aerospace programs and teams that our membership supported during their careers at the Collins Division in the Dallas/Richardson area.
We invite you to review your files and share materials with the CRA for posting on the Collins History tab of the “About Us” webpage. Submissions may be sent to:
Presidents Ponderings by Neil Dobson
Message From Our President…
We are at a “Turning Point” time in America with renewed hope for world peace. On the geopolitical international front, the importance of strategic NC3 deterrence is heightened as major world powers flex their muscle. NC3 systems & missions that many of us supported during our careers at Rockwell Collins are being upgraded within the DoD. Variations and upgrades to systems developed as far back as the 1960s and updated in the 1990s are now undergoing replacement with new technology and improved platforms.
As the new Collins Aerospace teams come on-board at the Richardson facility, it is my hope that the expertise and “lessons learned” from these legacy programs like SAMCOM, MILSTAR, TACAMO, NAOC, Rail Garrisson and REACT can be shared with the new generation of designers to inspire excellence new Collins endeavors, while sharing the Collins history and legacy we left behind. The goal is to re-establish a relationship with Collins Aerospace and host retiree/employee exchanges.
These are exciting times! We will welcome a new wave of recent retirees as well as current employees to share in our Social Events and share interesting programs like “Inventors of the Internet”. We will continue to share & reflect on the lives and careers of some very talented employees who contributed to the success of Collins Radio, Rockwell Collins and now Collins Aerospace [One of three Business Unit within RTX].
Goals for the Future of RCRetirees Association (RCRA) include:
- Improve Engagement & Communications by re-instating Quarterly Newsletters.
- Increase RCRetirees Membership Rolls – Outreach Effort to Recent Collins Retirees.
- Increase attendance at Semi-annual Meetings – Reach out to all retirees.
- Expand Collins History Webpage Tab to add major programs (i.e. Dr. Weigl Art Collins story).
In terms of future meetings, we have a long-term commitment with St. Paul’s the Apostle Parish Center in Richardson for our semi-annual meetings.
Neil Dobson
We are seeking nominations and/or volunteers to lead the RCRA from Oct 2025 to April 2027
The two-year term for our current officers will be completed after the April 2025 meeting. The elected officer positions include President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
We are now asking for volunteers to step into one of the Acting positions or to support other volunteer roles within the Association. Additional support positions are also available. As always, you may self nominate for any of the roles if you would like to serve.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact any of the current officers with your questions or to express interest. Officer contact details are available under the Contacts section of the website.
Current Slate of Volunteer Officers
Neil Dobson – President | Newsletter Publisher
Bill Zeigler – Acting Vice President | Webpage Updates & Member Data Stats
Ted Fredericks – Treasurer
Eric Pearson – Acting Public Relations | Meeting Notices & Obituaries
Jim Brown – Photographer | Publishes Meeting Addendum with Attendee Photos
Carlo Rossi – Collins Aerospace Liaison (BD)
Member Contributions
New Retirees & Obituaries
Rockwell Collins does not release retiree names or contact information. We rely on CRA members to inform us.
Please report new retirees: Send the retiree’s name and contact information to CRA officers:
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Email: rcretirees@gmail.com
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Phone: see the Contacts & Links page on the website.
Please report obituaries: Notify any officer and send a copy to: rcretirees@gmail.com so we can distribute the notice to members.
Website Information
RCRA Meeting is Coming!
Thursday, Oct 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM
TACAMO EC-130J Update ATTENTION: Thursday – Oct 17, 2024 Meeting will be held at:
St Paul Catholic Church Parish Center
900 St. Paul Dr
Richardson, TX 75080
(Just West of 75 (Central), North off Spring Valley)
9:00am Meeting Start
10:00am Speaker: “TACAMO EC-130J Phoenix II Update” by Collins Aerospace
10:45am Sponsor Time
11:00-11:15am Open Discussion
For planning purposes, our meetings are scheduled on the third Thursday of April and October each year. You can mark you calendar now to reserve the dates.
Collins Retirees Association Requests Donations in Lieu of Requiring Dues
The Collins Retirees Association (CRA) has a few sponsors but must have donations from members in order to pay for meeting facilities and other costs associated with the CRA’s operation. When we can return to face-to-face meetings, we will be forced into commercial venues at a higher cost as the Civic Center is entering renovation. You may donate at the link below using a PayPal account or your credit card.