Alike in life, alike in death
Two cousins - both in their 20s, both very similar - die two days apart, apparently of natural causes. Their families take comfort in their belief that the two are together again.
By CARRIE JOHNSON
Published November 30, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG - Winston Collins and Candace Fowler were always remarkably similar.
Born two years apart, they looked more like brother and sister than cousins.
Both were homebodies who preferred a good meal to a night on the town.
They even had matching personalities.
"They were always the goofy ones, trying to make everyone laugh," said Michelle Fowler, 21, Candace's sister.
On Saturday, the pair will be buried in identical plots, side by side, at Woodlawn Cemetery in St. Petersburg. In an eerie coincidence, they died just two days apart last week, apparently of natural causes.
"We wanted them to go to heaven together," Michelle Fowler said, "so they won't be alone."
The dual loss has been an extraordinary burden to the two St. Petersburg families, who live less than 2 miles from each other. Candace Fowler's mother is a first cousin to Winston Collins' mother, and the families always have been close.
"It was almost like Winston adopted my family," said Tanya Fowler, 38, Candace's mother. "And we adopted him right back."
Collins, 20, was working the night shift as an inventory stocker at Target last Wednesday when he suddenly had a seizure.
Paramedics were called to the store but couldn't revive him. Although the medical examiner's office has not yet determined the official cause of death, his mother, Geneva Collins, said her son had an enlarged heart.
Candace Fowler's death was even more mysterious. The 22-year-old mother of two began complaining of flulike symptoms early last week. On Tuesday, she went to Bayfront Medical Center, saying her vision was blurred.
Michelle Fowler said doctors told her sister that she had the flu and sent her home. Candace Fowler spent the next two days in bed. On Friday morning, her boyfriend tried to wake her and discovered she had died.
"It was so weird," Michelle Fowler said. "She never had any problems with her health before. It was really unexpected."
St. Petersburg police say there was no trauma to Candace Fowler's body and no evidence of foul play. An autopsy is being performed to determine the official cause of death, said police spokesman George Kajtsa.
Candace Fowler was a St. Petersburg native and attended Pinellas Park High School. She worked as a hostess at the International House of Pancakes, 5800 34th St. N.
In August, she moved with her 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son into her first apartment on Bay Street SE.
"She was so excited about it," her mother said. "She was a teen mother, but she was getting her life on track. She wanted to go back to school."
Winston Collins moved to St. Petersburg with his family from Macon, Ga., in 1996, his mother said. He immediately became close friends with Candace's brother, Antwone Fowler, known as A.T.
"They were always together," said Geneva Collins. "They spent the night at each other's houses. They really enjoyed being together. It was a beautiful thing."
The biggest difference between Candace and Winston was their heights. At 6 feet 8 inches, Winston Collins towered over his petite, 5-foot-2-inch cousin.
Candace's mother remembers her daughter tagging along with Winston on trips to McDonald's or the Dairy Inn. Both were known for their slightly ditzy demeanors.
"Goofy, goofy, goofy," she said, laughing. "But they were the sweetest kids. Nobody had anything bad to say about either of them."
Winston Collins graduated from Osceola High School in 2004. He loved basketball and video games and hoped one day to become a barber.
Geneva Collins said her son was very affectionate and enjoyed playing with his nieces and nephews.
"He was a very loveable boy from day one," she said. "It would take 20 years for me to tell you all the good things about him."
The unexpected loss is especially hard with Christmas just a few weeks away. Both mothers say they're still in shock. But family members say they take comfort in believing the cousins are together.
"I can just see them, smiling down on everyone," Geneva Collins said. "They're happy and thinking this is a wonderful place to be."
--Carrie Johnson can be reached at 727 892-2273 or cjohnson@sptimes.com