The eldest child of Robert C. and Marion V. Sparks, Allen was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating from Withrow High School, he worked as a draftsman at Cincinnati Gilbert Machine Tool. After a short time in Melbourne, Florida, he joined IBM in Lexington, Kentucky, in the early 1960s.
Allen was among the first IBMers to move to Austin to open the new plant in 1967. He spent most of his IBM career in packaging engineering and manufacturing engineering, and retired in 1994 after 30 years of service.
In 1972 he met JoAnn Miller, who was visiting Austin from Ohio to see lifelong friends. After a long-distance courtship, Allen and JoAnn were married June 15, 1975, at Rix Mills Presbyterian Church near New Concord, Ohio. They made their home in Austin, where their son Brian was born.
A lifelong Presbyterian, Allen was an active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Austin. After his retirement, he enjoyed volunteering for many years as an usher and as part of the Friday morning “Wrecking Crew,” performing various odd jobs around the church. He enjoyed attending monthly IBM retiree breakfasts and was a regular blood donor for many years, giving more than 15 gallons before being diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Allen is survived by his wife, JoAnn and son Brian of Austin; sister Betty and husband Richard Field of San Antonio; brother Les and wife Susan Sparks of Cincinnati; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family is grateful to Dr. Leo Toupin, Dr. Thomas Aung and the staff at Texas Oncology-Cedar Park, Hospice Austin, and Nurses Unlimited for their compassionate care.
Following a private burial, a memorial service will be held Saturday, March 12 at 2 p.m. at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3003 Northland Dr., Austin, TX 78757. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Covenant Presbyterian Church Building Fund.
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