Allen Fred Ramsthel was born on May 13,1938 in Portland, OR. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1956. He met his wife, Judee, also a graduate of Roosevelt, at St. John’s Christian Church, where they both participated in youth programs and sang in the choir. Allen and Judee were married in 1961 and moved to Corvallis, where Allen attended Oregon State University, majoring in Pharmacy. Their first of four children Tami was born in 1962, as Allen finished his degree, graduating in 1963.
After college, the couple moved back to Portland, where Allen worked as a Pharmacy intern at a drugstore in Vancouver, WA. When Allen became a licensed pharmacist they moved to Vancouver where they lived for 10 years, during which they adopted three more children, Jeffrey in 1964; Heidi in 1967; and Michael in 1970. Allen and Judee were active members of Grace Baptist Church in Vancouver, where they both sang in duets, quartets and the choir. Through the church, Allen participated in building The Dunes Bible Camp in Ocean Park, WA.
Allen and Judee bought a little cabin in Oysterville, WA in 1970. The family has enjoyed many clam digs and clam fries, surf fishing, sight-seeing, bike riding up and down the peninsula, and fellowshipping with the “beach cousins” over these many years.
In 1974 the family moved to Oregon City, OR, where Allen continued to work as a pharmacist at various locations until his retirement. They were members of Evergreen Community Church in Redland, where they of course sang in the choir. Allen also volunteered as a Sunday School teacher and youth camp counselor.
In 1989 Allen and Judee both began singing in Portland’s Singing Christmas Tree. Judee retired after 19 years, when her health began failing, and Allen continued singing with them several years more. Many friends and family, including the couple’s children and grandchildren, made a holiday tradition of attending “The Tree” through these years.
Allen and Judee were blessed with 53 years of marriage until her passing in 2014. Throughout their lives, they enjoyed travels to Austria and Germany, as well as trips to Michigan and Alaska to visit family. Allen whole-heartedly embraced his status as Judee’s “right hand man” in creating and maintaining their beautiful gardens. He was an avid golfer and in earlier years, quite the bowler; as well as a seriously competitive pinochle and cribbage player. He will be remembered by all who loved him for his sarcastic humor and quirky, alliterative phrases and comebacks (which family members have since added to their own vocabularies), twinkle-eyed smile, and easy-going temperament.
Allen is survived by his four children, Tami (Keith), Jeffrey, Heidi (Jon) and Michael; his sister Virginia; his brother Donald; twelve grandchildren: Andrew, Kayla, Kenzi, Jordan, Nicole, Alyssa, Mary, Katie, Kacie, Jonathan, Gabrielle and Wyatt; and two great-grandchildren.
Allen’s family will be having a grave-side service this summer in Oysterville, WA. Memorial donations in Allen’s honor may be sent to Brighton Hospice, 8050 SW Warm Springs St. #205, Tualatin, OR 97062.
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