William "Bill" Allen

William "Bill" Allen was born in Amarillo, Texas on Feb. 21, 1927, Allen joined the Navy in 1945. He was at Pearl Harbor when the war ended, missing the major battles, but was sent to China to repatriate the Japanese refugees before the Chinese exterminated them. After eight months, he was discharged and returned to Amarillo to work for the Amarillo Hardware Co., where he met his wife-to-be, Verna. They married in 1948. Three children were born to their union, Mike Allen in Capitan, Nancy Allen Carpenter in Colorado and Roger Allen in Alto.

Bill Allen knew he was suffering with terminal bladder cancer, and in his usual thoughtful way of approaching life, he planned what would happen after his death.
He picked out his final resting place at the new Fort Stanton State Veterans Cemetery, a site easy for his widow, 89, to find and access. He told his children to delay a memorial service until after spring break and the end of the school year, so the coming together to remember him also would serve as a major gathering for all branches of the family and friends without conflicting with jobs, classes and graduations.

Allen, who was known locally for his dedication to the community and to the Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions and its vision program, died March 4. A memorial service tentatively is planned for June 9.

“It will be at the Columbarium at Fort Stanton Cemetery,” his son Roger Allen said. “There’s a place for a memorial service and three double sided rows of niches.” The site was selected when he took his father to the ground-breaking for the new cemetery, an installation for which Allen lobbied with other area veterans.For the full obituary please visit: https://www.ruidosonews.com/story/news/local/community/2018/04/11/bill-allen-left-his-mark-helped-many-ruidoso/508189002/

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