James “Buffalo” Lee Collinson (72) was born 12/11/1953 and on 8/6/2026 he entered peacefully into eternal rest at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City. Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 11, 2026 from 10-11 AM at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama with Funeral Services to follow at 11:00 AM at the funeral home. Interment will be at Turner Cemetery in rural Garwin.

James was born in Marion, Iowa, to John and Lillian (Chalupsky) Collinson and would be celebrated as #5 of the Collinson kids.

He started his schooling in Atlantic Iowa and then finished and graduated from Webster City High School. After high school, James attended Iowa Central Community College, where he was interested in the career as a radio DJ. This did not pan out the way that James had thought it would (turns out attending classes was not in his strong suit) so he ended up moving to Tama, Iowa, where he would begin working at the Tama Paperboard. James was an avid musician who could learn to play any song simply by listening to it. He was not only gifted on the guitar, but he also loved to sing as well. He wrote and performed many songs over the years and even had a song that would be played on the radio. While playing guitar on his front porch, a young lady rode by on her horse and asked him to play for her. In his normal goofy way, he simply strummed the guitar and laughed. This encounter turned into a 30-year love affair that would produce 3 beautiful children. Their marriage may have ended, but their love for one another never did. Even in the years to come the both of them would spend his final days making each other crazy and loving each other just the same. During his 45 years of working at the Tama Paperboard and living in Tama, James became friends with most who met him. He was a warm-hearted man who knew no strangers.

James is survived by his life partner, Sheryl Marvin; his three children, James Carmine Lee of Omaha, NE, Amber (Nick) Klenk of Central City, IA, and Samantha (Tony) Collinson of Audubon, IA; 6 grandchildren, Shyanna, Jeremy, Keaten, Boston, Alexis and Dakota; 3 great-grandchildren, Upton and Archer and Milo. James is also survived by his sister, Jean (Larry) Jesse, Ames, IA; brother, Joel (Patsy) Collinson, Grimes, IA, and sister, Janet (Richard Carroll) Collinson, Muscatine, IA.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Lillian and John; Brother, John Collinson; Sisters, Joan Campbell, and Jane McNeely.

Memorials may be directed to the family.