Thomas B. Coll
Thomas B. Coll, 73, an FBI Special Agent who retired in 1979 as Chief of Media Services, died Monday, August 19, 2002, in his Adelphi, Maryland, home. He had cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Mr. Coll acted as FBI spokesman during investigations in the mid 1970s of the shooting of two agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He was also Chief of the Fugitive Publicity Unit that published the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
Mr. Coll was a native of Edenborn, Fayette County, Pa., and graduated from the former German Township High School in McClellandtown, Pa.
He was a graduate of Southeastern University where he also received a Masters Degree in Accounting.
He served in the United States Navy Reserves before the Korean War and in the United States Army during the war.
He began his FBI career in 1948 and was posted to field offices in Mobile, Alabama, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and New York.
He was later Supervisory Special Agent in the Intelligence and Crime Records divisions.
He lectured at the FBI Training Academy.
After he retired, he did investigations work for 10 years for the Washington regional office of Pepsi Company Inc.
Mr. Coll was a National Vice Commander of the American Legion, President of Adelphi Recreational Swimming Pool, and a member of St. Camillus Catholic Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI.
Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Alicia Boyle Coll; five daughters: Penny Rogers and Erin Patton both of Kansas City, Missouri, Missy Houck of Bel Air, Maryland, Mia Miller of Adelphi, Maryland, and Shannon Schnabele of Bowie, Maryland; tow sisters; and 15 grandchildren.
The Family received Friends at the HINES-RENALDI FUNERAL HOME INC., 11800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland, on Friday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Saturday, August 25, at 10 a.m. in St. Dominic Catholic Church, 630 E Street, Southwest Washington, D.C.
Interment will be in Quantico National Cemetery on Monday, August 26, at 1 p.m.