Holly Jan Money-Collins January 17, 1958 - May 7, 2026

Our sweet wife, mother, sister, cousin, friend, Holly Jan Money-Collins, passed away Thursday morning, May 7, 2026, with her devoted husband and daughter at her side. Holly was the third child of Constance Frehner Money and Fred Andrus Money, born January 17, 1958 in Redwood, California.

Holly graduated from Lassen Union High School in Susanville, California, where she was known for her vivacious personality. She entered California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California and in 1980 earned a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture with a Concentration in Floral Design. She obtained teaching credentials in 1981-82, and upon graduation she accepted a full-time faculty position at City College of San Francisco in Ornamental Horticulture, a position she remained in for 38 years. She became the head of the department and saw the program grow exponentially under her supervision.

A truly gifted artist in floral design, Holly was internationally known for her unique floral artistry, integrating floral concepts using wild grasses and wood that artistically stretched the heretofore more conventional concepts of floral design.

Her national reputation was broad, and in 1986 Holly was invited to design and construct the floral displays on the multiple daises used for the 4-day celebration commemorating the restoration and centenary of the Statue of Liberty in New York, July 3-6, 1986, which was attended by the French President Mitterrand, President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, and celebrities Gregory Peck, Frank Sinatra, and Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation Chairman, Lee Iococca. The celebration included several landmark events, including the Tall Ships Naval Review on the Hudson River.

Holly’s artistry and design was also displayed twice on floats in the famous Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California. One float was sponsored by United Way. She has been cited in numerous floral design articles and publications for the definitive expert she was. She served as the National President of the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers
(AIFD) from 1992-1993.

With her work at City College of San Francisco, Holly cultivated a fine reputation as “Queen” of the famous San Francisco Flower District. She was heartily recognized and welcomed at any vendor’s booth, and even as recent as Christmas 2025, she was in touch with vendors, ordering abundant poinsettias filling her home.

It was during a church service that Holly met the love of her life, Matthew Richard Collins, a native of Utah, who was visiting a brother in San Francisco. They married August 5, 1984 in Rohnert Park, California. Later they were sealed in the Manti, Utah LDS Temple. In 2002 they welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Serena Dove, into their family.

Matt was a constant companion and helpmate in all of the many ceremonies and displays Holly designed throughout the city of San Francisco. At the national conference for the AIFD held in San Francisco in 1993, Matt designed and welded impressive 3-foot metal structures that held Holly’s exquisite floral displays and candles at intermittent levels for the centerpieces of the conference final dinner. They were certainly a team.

Holly is survived by her beloved husband Matt Collins and cherished daughter, Serena Dove Money-Collins; her sisters Carol Voss (Steven) and Noel Hazard (John) and brother Alan Money (Sandy), as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, Constance Frehner Money and Fred Andrus Money; her sister Suzanne Stevenson; and her Frehner, Ludlow, and Money grandparents.

A graveside service will be held at an ancestral grave site in Spanish Fork, Utah Cemetery under the direction of Walker Mortuary on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 10:00 am. A memorial is planned in San Francisco later in the summer.