David played sports in school and graduated from Greeley High School in 1965. He entered the United States Army in 1966 and served in Vietnam for a year.
In 1966 David married Sherry Walters. After discharge from the army they moved to Idaho, where they had two children, David Bruce II and Wendi Jo. They moved to Grants Pass, Oregon in 1972 and were later divorced.
David owned Allen Masonry in Grants Pass, Oregon. David loved life. He worked hard and played hard. He loved the water and spent lots of time boating, waterskiing, and fishing. He also loved taking people down the Rogue River, whether it was just a leisurely float or a full blown white water adventure and fishing expedition.
David was a member of the Grants Pass Active Club, a non-profit volunteer organization serving local children and youth organizations. The club has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars raised from 100% of the proceeds of Boatnik, Oregon’s second largest festival held every Memorial Day weekend on the Rogue River, which the club produces. He served as past president, was the first recipient of the David B. Allen Lifetime Achievement award in 1998. The award has been given every year in David’s honor to the person most exemplifying the principles of the Grants Pass Active Club. David always had an open hand, heart and wallet to someone in need, particularly children.
Another of David’s passions was flying. He became a pilot and enjoyed flying his plane up and down the west coast and to Mexico. He was a big fan of the Oregon Ducks and the Denver Broncos.
In 1987 David was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, emanating from his service in Vietnam. He spent the next several years in and out of VA hospitals in San Francisco, San Antonio, Seattle and Portland. He underwent many types of treatment including stem cell and bone marrow transplants. David fought hard and went into remission in 1990.
In a beautiful spring ceremony David married Sharon in 1993. David and Sharon enjoyed running Allen Masonry and loved traveling around the U.S. including Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Asia and Europe.
The cancer returned and David battled the disease with his usual fierceness and optimism. The cancer struck in different locations and became more debilitating, the treatments more invasive. He spent more and more time in the hospital and finally David entered the Vancouver Nurses Skilled Care Unit in Vancouver, Washington in 2005. He kept up the battle, never losing hope and never failing to buoy the spirits of his fellow patients and the staff as long as he was able.
David is survived by his wife Sharon of Grants Pass, OR; children David B. Allen II and his wife Angel; Wendi Jett and her husband Phil, all of Brookings, OR; and Wesley Keppel-Henry of Iwaki-shi, Fukushima, Japan; mother Virginia Allen of Greeley; brother Ron Allen and wife Linda of Cardwell, MT; sister Debra Dyer and husband Lanny of Greeley; grandchildren, Alexandra and Gabriel Allen, Keenan and Hunter Jett; along with many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father and grandparents.
Visitation 4-7 p.m. Thursday at Stoddard Funeral Home. Funeral service 2 p.m. Friday at Stoddard Funeral Home. Interment Sunset Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Grants Pass Active Club in Grants Pass, Oregon or to your local VFW, in care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 West 28th Street, Greeley, Co 80634.
Please visit www.stoddardsunset.com to sign online guestbook.
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