LYNN – Edward Collins came to St. Mary’s Tuesday to see the school he graduated from 61 years ago and to accept an award named after his friend and notable St. Mary’s benefactor, William F. Connell.”Bill set an example for all of us to follow: Maybe if you work hard, you get lucky,” said Collins as St. Mary’s teachers, administrators and students applauded him.Head of School Grace Regan said St. Mary’s salute to Collins and his wife, Rita, honors their decades of charitable work, including work on behalf of St. Mary’s where Collins graduated in 1952.View more photos from the eventCollins helped turn a $5 million gift from Connell and his family to St. Mary’s into the school addition St. Mary’s opened in 2005. Collins said he worked annually with Connell and other Boston-area business leaders to raise money to support education and arts in Ireland.The son of a leather worker and an Irish mother “who ruled the roost,” Collins grew up in Peabody, worked as a caddy at Salem Country Club, and transferred from high school in Peabody to St. Mary’s after his mother saw the “C” in conduct on his report card.He said the enthusiasm that defined St. Mary’s “close-knit community” and discipline instilled by daily Mass attendance and the required suit and tie gave him the confidence to apply to Merrimack College after graduation.”The study and work ethic of St. Mary’s prepared me,” he said.Collins met his wife at Merrimack and went on to build a career in international engineering with Morse Diesel. Regan said the firm’s landmarks include Lincoln Center and the Sears Tower.Collins and Connell lived and raised their families in Swampscott, and shared early morning work commutes from Boston to New York City.Collins said Irish-American Catholic President John F. Kennedy influenced both men.”He said, ‘Ask what you can do for your country.’ Bill liked to say, ‘It’s what you can do for others – it’s the giving back,'” Collins said.Methuen-born Rita Collins shared her husband’s service award Tuesday and Collins praised her as “my guiding light.” Rita Collins said her husband’s “experiences from St. Mary’s carried through his entire life.”The couple have two children, Kevin and Elizabeth.Regan credited Ed Collins with mentoring her during her eight months as head of school.”Ed and Rita’s great gift is – you have to reverence the past to move into the future: They hold us to our values,” Regan said.Collins said the “do whatever you can” philosophy he shared with Connell extended to Merrimack where the Collins’ established three student scholarships. Collins on Tuesday compared his daily bus rides as a student to and from St. Mary’s with social media technology used by the school to communicate with students.He said the work ethic he learned at St. Mary’s continues to be instilled in students.”Discipline of study was one of the things I took forward. It was one of the things Bill and I had in common,” Collins said.Tuesday’s Connell awards also honored students Hannah McCormack, Kayleigh Galvin, Rebecca Hart, Jacqueline Lavin, Melissa LeFave, Erin McManus, Christina Mignosa and Ashley Stiles.Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected].