Dear Carolyn - I am just reading this now about your husband’s passing.  I have such good memories of our shared time at BHS - please accept my sincere condolences.   My husband died almost 9 years ago, so I understand how very sad and difficult this is.  My thoughts and prayers are with you - 
Sincerely, Teddy Helfrich

Bill and I lost touch many years ago. We served together in Vietnam in 1965-1966. We coninued to be good friends after we returned. Bill was the Godfather for my oldest daughter. WE lost touch ater I moved to Florida. 

Mr. Allen was one of the few people in this world who I strove to impress.  He could teach without words--with a glance, I knew if I was on the right track.  To this day (at 34 years old), whenever I accomplish something I think, "but would Mr. Allen be proud?"  The time I spent in Mr. Allen's classroom helped me set my priorities for life--curiosity, exploration, loyal friendships, and creation.  One day I visited him at Brockton High because I heard he was retiring.  Unbeknownst to me, that was his last day at school.  The last thing he said to me was "Part two, Mahoney," which I took to mean, "see you in the art world."  I'm still doing my best, Mr. Allen.

It was my pleasure to know Bill during the years I too taught at Brockton High with him in the art dept, 73-79.  Bill was a talented and beloved art professor.  He made a difference in so many lives.

We were young back then, and on Friday’s would meet as a cohort after school to share the start of the weekend and have a BLAST!  Carolyn was one of the gang, and clearly their marriage was a powerful and loving one.  It was obvious to us all. ❤️

I can only imagine the void that Bill’s death leaves for Carolyn and their sons.  But, weren’t they (and we) fortunate to have Bill in their lives these years.  He lives on in their hearts and genes.
With love and condolences, Carolyn, your ole friend,
Mj🙏🏾

I am currently getting my Master's in Art Education because of Mr. Allen's teaching while I was at Brockton High. He created an open and welcoming environment to not only create art but to also become compassionate adults. He talked so kindly it never felt like he pushed us one way or another, and yet he had high expectations for us. He gave his students immense freedom to work in those two art rooms and it truly felt like we made it our own. I learned gesture drawing while listening to Tom Waits. I snuck in occasionally when no one was around just to work on my art. I can't even remember a single other teacher's name from my high school years. I wish I reached out sooner to let him know how impactful he was.

Thank you Mr Allen! You were one  (top one) of the teachers that I remember!  Most of my high school joy was art class!
Thank you
Class of 1980

Mr. Allen was, by far, my favorite teacher at BHS. His studio was one of the only places where some were free to be who they were and express their art in so many different ways.

I'm very sorry to hear he has passed, but what a wonderful person and educator he was to me and so many others.

Sincerely,
Amelia Leason
BHS, Class of 1994

Mr. Allen (as we knew him) was by FAR the most influential teacher - and one of the most influential people - in my life. I owe him SO much. Under his wing, I grew so much as an artist but more so as a person.  I’ve proudly passed many of his lessons on to those I’ve worked with and mentored throughout my career … he lives on in that knowledge and in the success that his students have enjoyed. 

I distinctly remember bringing him a drawing I had done of a photo of the band U2 (this was the mid-80s) that I happened to be very proud of at the time. He looked at it and said “That’s not art!”  He brought me over to his library of art books and started to show me what “real” art was. He introduced me to great works of art. He encouraged me to experiment in my work. He helped me build a portfolio of work that gained me admission into some of the best art schools in the country. He was the spark that set off my career, which I’ve enjoyed for the past 34 years.  He saw potential in me and in my classmates and he had this uncanny ability to get the best out of everyone he taught. He made all the difference in the world and for that, I’m forever grateful. 

Mr. Allen, you were the absolute best. Thank you for your dedication and your persistence. You never gave up on any of us and we’re all SO much better off because of you. Rest In Peace. 

Tony Poillucci 
BHS Class of 1987

Dear Carolyn, 
I am sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. We have all lost a good man. Please know that I am thinking of and praying for you and your sons.
Rosemary

I was so sorry to hear of Bill,s passing . We grew up together in Brockton ,Mass and I considered him my best friend  , I have many great memories of our times together . He was a fun ,funny , kind and great friend . You  also know that he was a Marine and served two tours of duty so he was also a man of great courage .
    I am sure Bill is with the angels and painting up a storm ,
Rest In Peace Friend , 
Bill Bolinder   

He was a quiet, dedicated man and led by example. His students produced amazing things because of his mentoring and motivation. He was a wonderful colleague. He will be missed but will live on in the hearts and heads of the many students he taught, the colleagues with whom he worked, and his friends and family.


Oh Mr. Allen you saved me in High School. The Art Studio was home and I spent more time in that room than anywhere else. Thank you for encouraging us  to adventure out to BU for Saturday drawing classes, for curating and installing our first group show at the Brockton Public Library, for empowering us to assemble a magnificent portfolio and then sharing in the deep joy when we were accepted into some of the best Art Schools around. I can still see and feel your most authentic smile of all, and imagine you flying around in that Pink Floyd van in the sky! God speed. So much love on this page. My heart breaks to hear of your passing.

Just the other day my daughter was rummaging in a drawer and pulled out a packet of old photos, including the one I've attached below, taken in Mr. Allen's studio classroom, probably in 1999 or so. I will never forget what happened in that classroom: the growth all of Mr. Allen's students experienced personally, as artists, and as a community unlike any other found on the BHS campus. We were lucky to have him as an example and a mentor then, and as a teacher I'm lucky to have his model of gentleness, wit, encouragement, and openness to draw on now. It's a model I try to live up to for the students who now gather in my classroom. May his memory be a blessing, as it is to me.

Bill changed the course of my life and it’s impossible for me to overstate how much I owe him. The lessons he taught me are ones I now teach my own students, and they were big, important lessons. He gave me his technical expertise and taught me how to think about art. He was my model of kind and constructive criticism, patience, and silly banter. He taught me how meaningful and healing art could be, both for the viewer and the creator. His memory is a lantern lighting my way, now and always. Safe journey through the bardo, Mr. Allen.

Mr Allen was a great teacher and inspired me to be an artist. I loved being in his classroom and being surrounded by art- talking about painters, smelling paint, learning about different materials, and interacting with everyone in his class that was also taken by his teaching and ambience of his classroom. I would spend every free period there, working and trying to absorb everything Mr. Allen would  say. He gave me the opportunity to experiment and motivated me to seek out my path to becoming an artist. He will be dearly missed by many but lives on through his 35 years of impactful teaching. 

Bill was the most influential teacher in my life, he is the reason why I went on to study studio art in college 

I am so saddened to hear about the loss of Mr. Allen. He was my favorite teacher at Brockton High School.  He brought so much energy to the room and he had so much passion  and enthusiasm  for art . He will certainly be missed.
Rest In Peace



Part 2: I remember I once asked him how to mix paint colors to "MAKE skin color." Looking back, I realize how messed up that question is because (a) there are many different "skin colors" and (b) painters know that you can use thousands of individual dabs of color (blue, red, whatever) to paint a face. Let's just say, he didn't like that question. 😆  Many of us would spend lunch time in the classroom which was just fine with him as long as we kept working on things. He usually sat in there, too, just reading and eating a sandwich or something. 

One time he told me "You can DRAW!" Knowing his personality, I knew it wasn't just lip service. He really meant it and his exclamation felt like he was discovering what I can do while I felt like I was fumbling through the process. It was a big boost for me.  

I met some incredible people in the class, lots of whom went on to study art and architecture in college. Many of his students are still making (and even teaching) art today. What a legacy

Part 1: I was very sorry to learn of the passing of Mr. William Allen ("Billy" as my mom called him). If you went to Brockton High you were likely impacted by his teaching even if you didn't HAVE him as a teacher—The work of his students was always beautifully displayed in the hallways and lobby of the Fine Arts building. Lots of his students were painters but really, in his classroom, you could make anything out of anything.  For the first 3 years of high school, I mostly focused on darkroom photography but dabbled in some drawing and painting. At one point or another, Mr. Allen convinced me to come down HIS end of the hallway. This was super intimidating because as the daughter of the high school photo teacher, I grew up seeing just how great Billy's students' work was. It wasn't just great for "high school art." It was just great art. PERIOD.  What I remember about his classroom—Everyone had their spots where they created and he always had people look at certain artists that would influence their work along the way. For me, he suggested I look at Joseph Cornell. I don't how he arrived at this but looking back, it was genius. Somehow Billy knew that Cornell's interest in history, broken things, miniatures, text, and photography would be a good starting point for me. He was right on. And honestly, I am still drawn to all of those things today. (I guess through all of the art courses, experimentation with materials, etc., not much has changed!) He often had music playing and the whole classroom—2 connected rooms—was just a magical mishmash of people. One thing he often said was something like the worst kind of art was "no art." He wanted people to keep creating no matter what. I think about that a lot when I'm making things but seeming to get nowhere. You just keep making stuff!  

I am so sorry to hear of Bills passing. He was one of my heroes as a kid. He really was the reason I joined the Marine Corps. I know he always felt guilty because I was so badly wounded in Vietnam in 1968. I was homered to serve. I returned a painting he had done of my family cat many years later. 
He came to my brothers house in Maine for a birthday celebration several years ago. 
Peace to the Memory of this great American. 
Semper Fi
Tom  Bolinder 


My condolences to the family and friends!  I was a student of Mr. Allen, he was one of my favorites. He was a cool guy who lifted you up and  inspired you. He was a better art teacher than the ones I had at Bridgewater State! I did not pursue art for a living, I teach dance, but I hope to inspire my students like he inspired me! Thank you Mr Allen, I still have my art box that I bought for your class, I’ll have dust it off and use it again. Thank you for being a great teacher, Rest In Peace! 

Linda Twiss Gioscia -BHS class of 1982

Dear Carolyn - 
I am so very sorry to hear about your husband’s passing.  Although it has been many years since our time at BHS, I have so many memories of both of you.  Ever since my husband Bob died in 2014, the following beautiful quote has comforted me, and perhaps it will provide a similar feeling for you and your sons, too:   
“Those whom we love and have lost are no longer where they were before - they are now wherever we are.”  (St. John Chrysostum).   May Bill rest in eternal and joyous peace.  Sincerely, Teddy Helfrich


Cousin Bill was like an older brother to me. We grew up together.  I embraced his quiet strength and laughed at his zany sense of "Allen" family humor. There are so many memories that I will hold dear to my heart ❤ His 7 ft. Frankenstein costume for the Big Boo, his uncanny ability to create great art, his hilarious Swedish Muppet imitation, his love of family that kept us all connected, and his love of Lemon meringue pie. Bill: We will remember a life well-lived and a person well-loved. Rest In Peace.  Love, Cousin Janet

Bill was an amazingly talented and kind man. We’ll miss him so much. Fly with the angels Bill . Love and prayers to your family. God Bless

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

William Gary Allen

7 août 1944 – 29 juin 2021

Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home

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