Very sad news. Aside from his considerable achievements on Gemini 10 and of course, what made his name famous, Apollo 11, he brought the Smithsonian in on time and budget and remained an animated endorser of the space program. His book, unlike most written entirely by Collins, Carrying The Fire is rightly regarded as a classic account of that period of the space program. Collin's distinct voice and humor resonated throughout.
He was offered, via the rotation system, Commander of Apollo 17 not long after the flight and worldwide tour, Collins however choose his family and a new direction, even walking on the Moon would not top being on such a historic flight as Apollo11.
A very understated, well spoken astronaut. His book really reads as if he’s in the room talking to you.
A sad day, but a life well lived. He was a top notch proponent of space travel...someone a few of the remaining Apollo astronauts could learn a few things from.
To me, the command module pilots are heroes. I am sure they were so busy that they did not have much time to think, but leaving 2 guys behind was certainly very lonely.