How necessary is research for a collegiate teaching job?
Yes, it is possible.  Of course, you will probably teach more than you would if you were in a "traditional" professhorship (with teaching and research), but if you love teaching, maybe that is great.

This article from the Chronicle of Higher Education has some useful statements, to wit:


  research and writing are not part of a faculty member's typical workday at a two-year college.


Also:


  The good news is that the vast majority of two-year colleges do not require faculty members to publish a single word in order to earn tenure.  [...] most community colleges do still offer tenure. In many state systems, earning tenure is simply a matter of doing your job in a satisfactory manner for a set period of time—generally, three to five years.


There are also positions at four-year liberal-arts colleges that are primarily teaching-oriented.