6452239713.jpg &&& BACK WHEN she was a star of the Villa Maria Academy basketball team, Marian Collins was humiliated when she missed two foul shots that could have won a game for her team. So, she skipped lunch and went to the gym where she shot 50 foul shots every day until she was satisfied that such a debacle would not happen again. That kind of determination to succeed was the hallmark of Marian Collins Mullahy's life, whether playing basketball or field hockey, or as a teacher, patron of the arts, antique-furniture restorer, artist, businesswoman or dedicated mother and grandmother. She died of cancer Monday at age 76. She lived in Bryn Mawr. Marian Collins was a standout athlete at Immaculata University where she was a member of the legendary Mighty Macs basketball team from 1950 to 1954, and fullback on the field-hockey team. The Mighty Macs are the subject of a book, "O God of Players," by Julie Byrne, and Marian is quoted in it as saying, "At a time where women weren't, I guess, supposed to be conscious of strong, healthy bodies, we were, because we couldn't play if we weren't." Collins Mullahy, as she was known to family and friends, also once remarked, "Of course we prayed to win. And that was part of it all. Boy, did we win!" A devout Catholic, Collins Mullahy always praised the Immaculate Heart of Mary sisters for encouraging women in sports. "There was an inspiration there," she said. "If you didn't do what you could do, you were losing what God gave you." That philosophy carried through her life. She was born in Yeadon to Joseph and Marian Collins. She won a scholarship to Villa Maria Academy, in Malvern. She took two buses every day each way to get there. Collins Mullahy was also a brilliant scholar. After graduating from Villa Maria, she was offered full scholarships to the University of Pennsylvania and Immaculata. She chose Immaculata because she wanted a Catholic education in an all-female environment. She graduated with a degree in education and was an elementary school teacher in the Chester school district for two years before her marriage to James J. Mullahy in 1956. She then assumed the traditional role of wife and mother, raising five children in Bala Cynwyd and, later, Merion. At the same time, however, she continued to develop her interests in education, history, art and culture. She pursued graduate studies in education at Temple, where she won a graduate fellowship, and in counseling at Villanova. She collected fine art, restored antique furniture and traveled the world, both for business and pleasure. In the 1980s, after her divorce, she launched a career as an antique jewelry and furnishings dealer. She opened her first store in a former Jewish temple, at 6th and South streets, and ran subsequent stores in Media, Granite Run Mall and Conshohocken. In later years, her base was at the Powerhouse antique collective in Collegeville, where her taste in jewelry, art and furniture attracted plenty of customers. In her final months, her family said, "she never lost her ability to attract a diverse group of admirers who were drawn to her vibrant personality and eclectic array of talents." One friend summed up her life by saying, "She was a beautiful person. The world needs more women like her." She is survived by four daughters, Marian, Kathy, Eileen and Barbara; a son, Matthew; and six grandchildren. Services: Funeral Mass 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Matthias Church, 128 Bryn Mawr Ave., Bala Cynwyd. Friends may call at 6 this evening at the Logan Funeral Home, 67 S. Eagle Road, Havertown, and at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the church. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Endowed Scholarship Fund, c/o Immaculata University, Immaculata, Pa. 19345. *