Allan Nicholas Desin

Allan attended San Francisco State University where he was captain of the basketball team and lettered in track and field, specializing in the high jump. Allan graduated with a degree in mathematics. While in college, Allan married his wife, Diane.

After graduation, Allan built two successful careers. His first was as as a pilot in the United States Air Force, flying KB50, C-119, C124, and C130 aircraft. After 5 years of active duty and 15 years as a reservist, Allan retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. During his active duty years, Allan and Diane had two boys, Erich, who was born in McAllen, Texas, and Gregory, who was born in Warner Robins, Georgia.

After his active years in the Air Force, Allan accepted a position as a statistician with the Franchise Tax Board in Sacramento, California. He spent the next 32 years with the FTB as a statistician, Director of Research and Statistics bureau, Tax Administrator III, Director of Internal Audit and Evaluation Bureau, and, finally, as a International Statistical Consultant to the Legal Division. During his early years with the Franchise Tax Board, Allan and Diane had their third child, Linda.

Allan remained physically active throughout his post-college and post-military years, actively playing on a local Sacramento volleyball league, riding his bike regularly with the Sacramento Wheelmen, and, his most beloved activity, hiking and backpacking in Yosemite and throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains both with the Boy Scouts, of which he was Scout Leader for Erich and Greg’s troop, and with his wife, Diane, and daughter, Linda.

In his retirement years, Allan volunteered to prepare tax returns for hundreds of people for free and with SCORE, a nonprofit organization and resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, to help new business owners with business proposals and navigate taxation requirements.

During his last years, Allan enjoyed regular lunches with his local Air Force TAC Tankers group and returned to one of his favorite pastimes from his Air Force years, playing bridge. He remained a competitive bridge player until the last weeks of his life.

Allan is survived by his two living children, Gregory Desin and Linda Bernardi, and his four grandchildren, Nick Desin, Geneva Desin, Cy Bernardi, and Stephine Bone. He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Diane Dorothy Desin, their eldest son, Erich Desin.

A memorial service will be held in Allan’s honor at Sierra Vista Community Church, 890 Morse Avenue, Sacramento, on October 15th, 2026, at 11:00AM.