February 25, 2016
Photo courtesy/Trudi Gilfillian
"Cara McCollum, a kind, funny, very smart soul, passed away this morning. I really didn't think she would. I consider myself fortunate to have been there the year she won Miss New Jersey. None of us know when our time here will end, but she made the very most of her young life," former Press of Atlantic City reporter Trudi Gilfillian, who covered the Miss New Jersey competition in 2013, the year Cara McCollum was crowned, wrote on Facebook. Gilfillian also shared this photo of McCollum on Facebook.
Funeral arrangements for Cara McCollum, the 24-year-old former Miss New Jersey and Miss America contestant who died Monday, have been announced.
The details – below – were posted by McCollum's loved ones on the "Prayers for Cara" Facebook page.
Visitation will be held at the McCollum home, located at 926 N. Forrest St. in Forrest City, Arkansas, on Friday, Feb. 26, from 5-7 p.m. or Saturday, Feb. 27, from 5-7 p.m. The funeral service is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, located at 101 S. Izard St. in Forrest City.
The McCollum family has also offered recommendations on the Facebook page for accommodations for those traveling from out of state.
McCollum was a resident of Margate, New Jersey, and an anchor on SNJ Today.
Miss New Jersey Cara McCollum waves as she walks on a runway as Miss America contestants arrive in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013.
Mel Evans, File/AP
