Lois Allen

Lois Allen died Sunday December 24, 2017 two weeks after her 88th birthday.  She was a 48 year resident of Davis, having moved here with her husband and two children in June 1969.

Lois was born in Walthill, Nebraska to Leonard and Deloise Kelly.  The family including her younger brother Edward, moved to Lodi California in the mid 1930’s and later to Berkeley.  Lois’ three aunts and their families also moved to the East Bay in the 1930’s, making for a large extended family.  Lois graduated from Berkeley High in 1947, and then majored in marketing at San Francisco City College.

She married Oakland resident Charles Stuart Allen on August 5, 1950, and they moved into a house they built in Richmond, to be close to Charlie’s work with Acme Transportation.  They had a son, Ronald Kelly Allen in June 1953 and a daughter, Diane Kathleen Allen in August 1955.

In 1959 the family moved to Martinez and they were active in community events and their children’s activities.  While in Martinez, Charlie was hired by the California Highway Patrol as one of the initial members of the Motor Vehicles Safety Program, inspecting and working with truck safety regulations.

In 1969 the family moved to Davis when Charlie was promoted to the CHP headquarters in Sacramento.

Lois was primarily a home maker as Ron and Diane attended school in Davis.  She worked part time at a number of jobs, several of which related to her interest in quilting and stitchery.  She regularly met with the “Quilters Dozen”, working on hand stitched quilts, and attending both regional and national quilt shows.

Following Charlie’s retirement from the CHP, they enjoyed traveling, making a number of both east coast and west coast trips where she enjoyed collecting regional quilts while Charlie played golf.

When Charlie passed away in 2005 after a two year bout with cancer, she continued to live in their house in Davis near her son’s family and her daughter living in Woodland.

Lois was preceded in death by her parents, Leonard and Deloise Kelly, brother Edward Kelly, husband Charles Allen, and Grandson Curtis Asby.

Lois is survived by her son Ron and his wife Jacquie, of Davis; daughter Diane Kathleen Walton of Woodland.  She is also survived by her Grandson Ryan Allen of Sacramento and three Great Grandchildren, Julia Asby, William Asby and Fiona Asby of Carmichael.

Lois was buried at a private service in Davis Cemetery on December 30, 2017.  The Allen family would like to thank the staff at St. John’s Retirement Village memory unit for their care and attention as she lived there the last few months of her life.