Allen E. Stern

Allen had a long and happy life, married to his wife, Rita, for 70 years. He joked that the secret to their marriage was selective hearing, but truth was he was a doting and loving husband, and a wonderful father to his three daughters, Lisa, Susan and Meredith.

Allen was proud of being a decorated WWII veteran, earning a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Silver Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster, for his heroism and bravery. After leaving City College to join the the war efforts at 18, he returned and graduated and spent his career as an engineer at Picatinny Arsenal in NJ.

He met Rita in Mt. Freedom, NJ (she said she chased him till he caught her)and they raised their family in Randolph and later Morristown, NJ, later moving to Monmouth Beach and Jamesberg before they retired to Florida. He loved skiing, paddleball and golf, but also loved tending his vegetable garden and rosebushes. He was a skilled artist as well as a home improvement expert -- and used his multiple tools to tinker and repair things in his basement workshop. But his children and grandchildren considered his pancake making one of his best skills.

He and Rita enjoyed traveling around the world, and he took wonderful photos of their adventures. Even as he approached his 100th birthday, he was still sharp as a tack… he was a keen competitor at poker and a speed reader of multiple books. He continued to do crossword puzzles and Ken Ken to challenge his mind. He is survived by his wife, five grandchildren and their spouses, and two great grandchildren, many of whom came to celebrate his centenarian birthday along with friends and relatives at the Levin Palace in West Palm Beach last March .

He will be greatly missed.