Donald Frederick Allen Sr. passed away peacefully, June 24, 2021. He was born July 18, 1926, son of the late Frederick Charles Allen and Mildred Turner Allen. He attended New Haven Schools and graduated from Hillhouse in 1944. He joined the United States Navy on July 17, 1944 and upon completing basic training, volunteered for submarine duty. He served on the USS Tambor as well as the USS Atule and was discharged in June, 1946.
He met Augusta Hock at a church fair in the fall of 1943 and began a long-term relationship that lasted five years. He gave up a scholarship to Bates College so that he could be at home with his high school sweetheart. They were married by the Rev Robert C. Dentan in the old Berkely Chapel in New Haven.
They took up residence at their new home on Beverly Drive in North Haven where they raised their two children and lived for the next 50 years before moving to Ashlar Village in Wallingford in 1998. They also spent 50 summers at the family cottage at Lanphier’s Cove in Branford and Don was a member and past president of the Lanphier’s Cove Association.
Donald graduated with high honors in June of 1955 from UNH, earning an Associate’s Degree in Management and subsequently received a BS in Economics, Summa Cum Laude in June of 1974.
He spent 50 years at the Southern New England Telephone Company where he held various positions and ended up as Division Revenues Supervisor, which included traveling around the country to make sure that telephone companies were doing their studies correctly and that his company and AT&T got their fair share.
Donald was also deeply involved in St. John’s Episcopal Church where he was Senior Warden for thirteen years, chaired two building committees, taught church school and sang in the choir. He was Vice President of the New Haven Church Mission Association. He completed a program of Theological Education by Extension for the Ministry sponsored by the University of the South to help him in his ministry. In 1995 he then completed a three year Diocesan course in the Ministry Exploration & Education Program and was commissioned a Lay Reader in the Diocese of Connecticut. He was one of seven chosen to be considered to be trained as Deacon in the Episcopal Church. Donald completed training and was ordained Deacon in 1996. He was assigned to St. Paul’s Church in Huntington where he worked for six years. Donald had a stroke in 2001 and was assigned to his home parish of St. John’s Church in North Haven. He was a Mason for over 70 years and was the founding chaplain of Ashlar Lodge 332 for seven years. He had over 5000 volunteer hours as Chaplain at the Masonic Home and Hospital in Wallingford.
Donald was deeply interested in the arts and the theater. He was a member of the Yale Art Gallery Associates. He supported the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and the Woosley Hall Concert Series. He also supported and attended many of the performances at Long Wharf Theater, the Schubert, Goodspeed Opera House and the Saturday performances at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. He was a staunch fan of Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas and saw most of them multiple times.
After their children graduated from college, Donald and Augusta took off to see the world. They took trips to Spain, Portugal, London, Paris, Rome, Scotland, Italy, Egypt and Israel, as well as a Rhine Cruise. Most of the travels were to England and Wales where they spent three months visiting all of the Cathedrals and most of the Great Houses and castles.
He was a life-long fan of the New York Giants and in his later years, followed the UCONN Women’s basketball team.
Donald leaves his daughter Claudia and her husband John Muehlfeld of North Haven, his daughter-in-law Karen Allen, also of North Haven, four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Augusta and their son Donald F. Allen Jr.
The visiting hours will be Tuesday, June 29th from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at The Havens Family, North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue. A funeral service will be conducted in St. John’s Episcopal Church, North Haven on Wednesday morning, June 30th at 10:00 Interment will follow in Beaverdale Memorial Park