Ada Dorothy Allen

Ada Dorothy Allen passed away peacefully on November 14, 2010 after suffering a stroke. She was born Ada Dorothy Thelin in Kearny, New Jersey on August 20, 1916. Both her parents emigrated from Sweden and she took great pride in her Swedish heritage.

Ada was always adventurous. At the age of 20 she traveled all by herself to Hawaii. She attended the University of Colorado because she loved to ski, but left to join the Navy Waves and help her country during World War II.

As a control tower operator in Hutchison Kansas in 1945 she gave perfect landing instructions one sunny day to a young officer pilot from West Virginia named Dale Allen. He was shocked to hear a woman's voice speaking to him over his headphones. He repeated them and then asked "Do you read me?" To which she replied "I read you like a book." After landing he decided to investigate this unusual situation and bounded up the stairs to the control tower-and the rest is our family's happy history.

Following their wedding in 1947 Dale and Ada enjoyed the life of a young Navy couple who soon had 3 daughters. Ada cheerfully packed up and moved the family every two years for the next 20 years. She loved to travel and instilled that love in her children.

Ada was an extremely fun, affectionate and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She loved her family and her friends with all her heart and built her life around them.

Ada is survived by her three daughters and their husbands, Cyndy and Bob Perkins and Jan Allen and Don Huebner of Austin and Laura and Joel Fine of Asheville, North Carolina. She is also survived by 4 grandchildren, Allen and Ana Perkins and Jeff and Elise Huebner and one great-grandson Oliver Perkins whose mother Janine is married to Allen.

A celebration of Ada's life will be held on Sunday, February 20th at 2PM at University United Methodist Church, 2409 Guadalupe in Austin.

The family asks that memorial gifts be made to University United Methodist Church, 2409 Guadalupe Austin TX 78705, to Hospice Austin at 4107 Spicewood Springs Road Suite 100, Austin, TX 78759 or to the charity of your choice.