Besides becoming an avid swimmer, his childhood included ferryboat rides to Marin and runs out to Stinson Beach along the Dipsea Trail.
He attended Polytechnic High School in San Francisco and then went on to Stanford where he received his BA degree.
Mr. Collett enlisted in the US Navy during World War II and served as a lieutenant in the Pacific Campaign.
Lo escort carrier in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during which his ship was attacked and sunk by a Kamikaze fighter plane.
He not only survived the subsequent ordeal but helped keep two injured men afloat and received the Bronze Star for his effort.