Dr. James Allan Collinge

James Allan Collinge, age 87, of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, died peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of July 5, 2026.

Jim was born on December 19, 1938. He was raised in Stillwater, Minnesota, son of William Carl Collinge and Elizabeth Armson Collinge. He had one sister, Betsy Collinge.

Jim attended local schools in Stillwater, Minnesota, graduating from Stillwater High School in 1956, where he excelled in the classroom and was a star athlete playing basketball, football and track. In younger grades, Jim was a penmanship champion, which carried through all the years of his life. He attended the University of Minnesota for both undergraduate studies and medical school. In June of 1963, Jim earned a degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Minnesota. In June of 1964, Jim completed his internship at Philadelphia General Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and then returned to Minneapolis to complete his residency. In November of 1970, he received his certification from the American Board of Surgery.

Jim married Susan Elizabeth Smith in 1963. They had six children Brigitte, Christine, James, Jessica, Graham, and Joseph.

After graduation from medical school, Jim was commissioned as a surgeon in the United States Army and was stationed with his family in Neubrucke Kaserne, Germany for three years.

Returning from Germany in 1971, Jim moved with his family to Frazee, Minnesota and worked as a general surgeon for Dakota Clinic in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. He subsequently moved with his family to Wayzata, Minnesota, where his two youngest children were born and continued his work as a general surgeon at several clinics and hospitals in the Minneapolis area.

Jim later returned to Detroit Lakes and resumed his position as general surgeon at the Dakota Clinic. Soon after, he met and married Sharon Amundson Shepard, who loved Walleye fishing on the Canadian border as much, if not more, than he did. They were married on April 23, 1984 and had twenty-eight beautiful years together. They particularly enjoyed time at their beloved Crane Lake cabin, which they shared with innumerable family members and friends, fishing for walleye and enjoying the vast wilderness. Jim and Sharon were devoted parents and grandparents, making regularly scheduled trips to visit their children and grandchildren all across the country. For many years, they would make a very special Halloween apple picking trip to Madison, Wisconsin, where several of Jim’s children and grandchildren lived.

Following Jim’s retirement, he continued to live in his log home on Little Detroit Lake with his wife Sharon until her passing in 2012. Later years were spent between his home and cabin, fishing, gardening, splitting wood for his woodpile, waiting for strawberry season and travels to visit his children and grandchildren. Jim’s last big trip was to Honolulu, Hawaii in 2022 to attend the wedding of his youngest son, Joseph and Marta.

Jim was a beloved steady presence in the lives of his family and friends as well as his community. Jim always took an active interest in the lives of his children and grandchildren. Favorite pastimes of Jim’s all throughout his life were fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, gardening, and reading, which included multiple readings of every Louis L’amour novel ever written. He had a lifetime relationship with Camp Widjiwagan, where he learned the art of canoeing and love of nature. Jim was an avid football fan and loved attending Minnesota Gopher vs. Wisconsin Badger football games with his sons. Jim and Sharon were both active members of Bakke Lutheran Church.

Jim is survived by his sister, Betsy Collinge of Sarasota, Florida, his children, Brigitte Whitney of Darien, CT and children Morgan, Brooke and Paige, James (Kerri) Collinge of Charleston, SC and children Ben, Grant, and Natalie, Jessica Collinge of Bristol, RI and daughter Imogen, Graham (Renee) Collinge of Madison, WI and children Charlie and Audrey, Joseph (Marta) of Honolulu, HI, his son-in-law Brian Brophy of Mancos, CO and children Anna, Sarah and Emma, two step-children, Greg (Sherri) Shepard of Palmer, AK and children Erin, Kaitlynn and Jennifer, Brian (Sara) Shepard and daughter Megan of Detroit Lakes, MN, and his best friend Denny Geier of Osage, MN. Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon Collinge of Detroit Lakes, MN, his father and mother, William and Betty Collinge of Stillwater, MN and his daughter, Christine (Brian) Brophy of Madison, Wisconsin.