Grandpa took me to a FIFA World Cup game in 1994: Germany vs. South Korea at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.  Germany won 3-2.  The majority of the game was played on the half-field our seats overlooked, as Germany scored three goals in the first half and South Korea scored two goals in the second half.  I was the luckiest teenager in Texas that day.

September 3, 2020 …we buried our father today – a lovely and peaceful graveside ceremony on a sunny September morning.  The military Honor Guard was there to pay respects, play Taps, and carefully fold the casket flag and present it to the family.  Fr. Ray, the priest from St. Catherine's who had earlier in the week visited Dad for Anointing of the Sick, officiated the burial.  Part of his message today referenced that visit and how Dad had smiled at him that Friday morning and was aware enough to start to make the Sign of the Cross at the priest’s final sacramental Blessing.  We felt Dad was at peace that day.  And today at the graveside, as I listened to the beautiful readings and prayers, I, too, felt an inner peace knowing we had family gathered with us celebrating and honoring our father and grandfather and the wonderful life we shared together. How we will miss him. I certainly thought he was the best father ever.  

I thought gathering with Amy and Ed on my 67th birthday at our father’s bedside would prove to be difficult and sad.  As it turns out, however, this 2020 birthday of mine is one I’ll remember as the happiest and most special of all.  Mid-morning and shortly after we had positioned Dad’s hospital bed to a more upright position, his eyes were open and we all saw and enjoyed one of the Legacy caregivers enter his bedroom smiling and carrying a birthday cupcake.  We were delighted and surprised to see her and we sang Happy Birthday and I blew out the candle. Dad was quietly part of that special celebration; actually it was his presence with us during those precious moments that Amy, Ed, and myself loved then and will forever cherish.  As the day wore on, Dad continued to open his eyes off and on and look at us and even smiled maybe once or twice… by that evening and for the next couple of days he was relaxed, comfortable, and resting.  His eyes that looked so lovingly at us for very many years were then pretty much closed and he seemed to be at peace.  And that’s actually what we wished for him… no pain, just easing out of this world quietly with dignity.  Our dear father…  awaiting his Father in heaven.  Such a special birthday for me… for the three of us to have spent it together with him.

Daddy was always proud of his French heritage.  I loved the way he sprinkled in French words in his conversations.  Some of the "Omerisms" have become standard in our Cleveland Allard family.   Duba, mulya, sookul, basta and others.  

On behalf of the residents and staff of The Village at Incarnate Word, I want to express our sincere sympathy to all of the Allard family on the death of your beloved father / grandfather / uncle / cousin. It was our privilege and pleasure to have shared a small role in the lives of Omer and Carmella when they lived  in our community. What a rich legacy of faith, love and life experiences they have left you! May God, who was such a central part of their lives, draw you closer and fill your hearts with peace and strength as you mourn the loss of Omer.

Annette and Family, 
Please accept our deepest condolences on the passing of your family’s grand patriarch. He was an amazing man, so diverse in his life and accomplishments. Omer enjoyed a long, full, happy life and lived to see his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren gather around him. We should all be so blessed.  You have our love and prayers,
David and Annie

If you met my Grandpa, you would know how much he loved to talk! You would get him started on a topic, and he could go on for hours sharing facts, anecdotes and everything he knew. His knowledge was both broad and deep, and he loved sharing it. I loved conversations with Grandpa because I always learned something new.

I remember one conversation in particular where he and I were talking about the story of the Good Samaritan when I was a child. I proudly recited the whole story from memory. He said, "very good," and began to tell me not only his thoughts on Jesus's message, but also his views on each character's motivations, and information about inns and worship services during Jesus's day. 

Grandpa had such a strong faith and he lived his life in a way that reflected it. May he find rest and happiness in heaven with the Lord.

I remember vacations to Texas throughout my entire childhood.  We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa whenever we were there.  Because I often got up before my brothers and sister, there were many times that I had Grandma and Grandpa to myself during breakfast.  Grandpa definitely liked his toast a lot more toasted than I did.  He thought mine was basically just bread and butter, and I thought his was more akin to a piece of charcoal.  But I loved those quiet mornings.  Grandpa always had some topic of conversation and listening to him and my Dad go back and forth was always such a treat.  I never went running with him, but I had breakfast with him a lot.  I'll miss him.  I hope he will rest easy with Grandma in the loving arms of God.

Omer was the life of the part at our wedding.  My side of the family still talks about him cutting a rug on the dance floor all night long.  He made an already special day, even more so!  Lots of love to the Allard Family.   Love, Grace Heffernan (and Sam, ofcourse!)

Dad's Thanksgiving - our father's own words...
"1.  God has been good to me.  During my life's journey I was guided by God's Commandments and the teachings of the Gospel and the Catholic Church.  These have nurtured and sustained my faith, hope, and love during a long and happy life.
2.  Life has been good to me.  I was blessed with loving parents brothers, and sisters, a devoted and cherished wife, a long, happy, and fruitful marriage, loving children, and grandchildren, and a long list of friends and acquaintances.  You have all touched me in many and beneficial ways.  For these blessings I will be eternally grateful."
3.  Work has been good to me.  I was blessed over many years and two careers with work that was interesting, challenging, fulfilling, and which provided many rewards of satisfaction and happiness at home, in the workplace, and during my retirement years.
4.  For all these blessings I thank God who is the source of all good."

7. Dad had a fiftieth birthday note on the wall in his home office.  It said "Fifty Years:  Halfway Point in the Marathon of Life."  I think he wrote it himself and I told him you know Dad people don't live for a hundred years. He probably just shrugged, but you know he lived to 92, so he came closer than most.

8. At some point Dad developed an appreciation for grains.  A grain connoisseur.  You know, like wheat, rye, bran, bulgur.  I never knew what brought that on but it was quite serious.  He learned to love all the flours and breads that could be made from them.  He started carrying around packets of various granular substances, to put on his food, even at restaurants.  Elizabeth tells of the time she was out to breakfast with Grandpa at an IHOP.  They were both having pancakes and naturally he started putting that stuff from a pouch on his pancakes.  She asked what's that and he said,  "Wheat germ. You want some?"  To which she said "Uh... sure." 

9. As Dad got older sometimes we'd all get exasperated when he was getting something wrong, like the time he wanted to order takeout from Bill Miller BBQ and spent what seemed like a couple hours going over every item on the menu needing input from the whole group.  By the time it was over we were all banging our heads against the wall and saying You're Being Dense.  After enough of those kinds of episodes, we eventually all realized it was part of a long declining with age.  For myself, I decided to try to be Zen like, and embrace that phase of life and roll with it.  Taking a lesson from the Bible reading about being kind and patient with your father, even as his mind fails. 

4. Hair brushing.  When I was little and Daddy would lay down on the couch for a nap, he'd ask me to brush his hair.  I didn't know why, because you can't really make it look right in that position, but he told me it was important. He'd drift off to sleep and I eventually figured out he just liked the way it felt.  And I did it maybe a few years then said Enough.  I learned at the end that he similarly connived some of his grandkids into doing the same thing, a generation later.  On his last couple days before he died I resurrected the practice with the brush from his bathroom and hoped that he felt and appreciated it.

5. When I was in Catholic grade school I liked to draw.  I once drew a picture to give to one of my Nun teachers.  It was a picture of the famous painting with God reaching out creating Adam where they touch their fingers together.  If you look closely at that picture Adam is nude, and I even drew the part between his legs.  Daddy suggested I find a way to add some shading to obscure that part, because he said, you know you're giving it to Sister.

6. Running:  Sometimes when we visited Oak Glen with the kids, Grandpa would say he's going for a run and ask if me or the boys wanted to come along.  Well we might have but not for the 10 miles he was planning.  But he had many different routes in the neighborhood and he'd cobble together a course that came back by the house after a mile so we could be done, and then he'd continue on his own, returning some time later in the morning.  When he visited Cleveland, I was lucky to have a long distance running friend who I hooked Dad up with for runs there.  Sometimes though,he'd go by himself, some long out and back course, that he'd create on his own on as he was doing it.  When he'd return and tell us where he'd been it sometimes seemed a miracle he made it back, because he'd have obliviously run right through some pretty rough neighborhoods. 


1.  Dad and I didn't hunt, fish, or golf.  What we did is run errands.  To the store, to get gas, to the bank, or anything and everything, He'd grab his keys to go out, and he'd say "Let's go," or didn't even have to.  This started before I can remember,  Daddy taking me to drop by where he worked on Saturday, that he called the machine room.  Then continued from there, the only thing changing in the later years was that I did the driving. Even at Mother's funeral, when I thought there was a couple hours to kill between the reception and the after party at Annette's, I suggested Dad and I use this time to go get his glasses adjusted.  But Amy intervened and said "No errands today!"

2.  Dad loved donuts, and when you're a long distance runner, you can do that without putting on weight.  We'd often stop for donuts, the ones after Mass on Sundays for the family, and otherwise just when we happened to drive by a donut shop.  He hated it when Dunkin' Donuts discontinued those sourdough ones with the handles.  This continued even to our last trip to his podiatrist in Dripping Springs, where there's a Drippin' Donuts that never failed to catch his eye when we drove by, and we'd always stop there on the way back.

3.  We also worked on projects together, usually repairing something.  As a child  Daddy taught me how to wrap an electrical wire around a screw the proper direction so it stays tight when you tighten the screw.  And how to pry a nail out of a board using another board for leverage under the rolling part of the hammer claw.  Things that if your father doesn't teach you, how would you ever know.  Later, my first house in Ohio was a fixer-upper and there was always a project or two we took on when he visited.  Two I recall were we replaced a cellar door and a section of roof.  The last one we ever did at Oak Glen was mounting a workbench vise that some of us remember.



We were saddened to hear of Omer's passing but are confident in knowing that he was received into his eternal reward by the Lord our Savior along with Carmella and a choir of angels.  For more than 20 years we were blessed to call Omer a dear friend and the memories of time spent with Omer, Carmella and family will always have a special place in our hearts.
Peace and love,
Charlotte & Rod McDonald 

OBITUARY

Omer Allard

July 3, 1928 – August 25, 2020

Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home and Memorial Park

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