Eugene Orrie "Gene" Allen left us way too soon on Monday, 28 October 2019, when he passed away unexpectedly at home. Best of husbands, best of fathers, and best of men, Gene was born on 13 January 1929 in Littleton, Colorado, to Ora and Grace Allen. He joined the US Navy after high school and served 20 years, retiring at the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He served in the Pacific and at bases in New York, Hawaii, California, Georgia, and Kansas. Early in his career he was assigned to Naval Air Station Olathe and while there he met the love of his life, Helen Louise Spielbusch, in 1949. Gene and Helen married on 18 February 1950 and celebrated their 69th anniversary earlier this year. They enjoyed many adventures around the USA and especially their year in Honolulu before Hawaiian statehood. In 1954, they lost a precious baby, David Eugene Allen. In 1958, son Bradley Mark Allen was born. Gene retired from the Navy in 1967 and earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Math Education from UMKC. Gene spent his entire 21-year teaching career at Southeast Junior High School in Kansas City, Missouri, and enjoyed all the time spent with his students. When he retired from teaching, he joined Helen in a longtime passion of collecting, buying, and selling early 20th-century American glass and pottery. He loved treasures from the Cambridge and Heisey glass companies especially. Gene was active in the Heart of America Glass Collectors, National Cambridge Collectors, and National Depression Glass Association. He loved attending glass shows, meeting collectors, and swapping stories with old friends. He and Helen enjoyed working at W. D. Pickers Antique Mall in Platte City, Missouri, taking care of their booth and visiting with new and old collectors. Gene is survived by his wife, Helen Allen (Overland Park, Kansas), son Brad Allen and son-in-law Gene Cooper (Kansas City, Missouri), brother Robert Allen (Denver, Colorado), brother- and sister-in-law Jack and Dar Spielbusch (Overland Park, Kansas), and many beloved nephews and nieces.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be given in his name to the Veterans Community Project, National Cambridge Collectors, or National Depression Glass Association (Museum Fund).
