Donald Allen

The family of Donald Richard Allen announces his peaceful passing on September 27, 2026, in Ellensburg, just six days after his 76th birthday. Following a stroke more than a decade earlier, he had been lovingly cared for by Donna Allen, his wife and the mother of his five children. Known as Nonna to their 14 grandchildren, Donna was his devoted companion and caregiver, and Don returned her love with kindness and the manners of a Southern gentleman.

Don was born in Jacksonville, Florida, to Jerry Allen and Carolyn Banks. His childhood was tumultuous and hard. Young Donny helped catch food for the family table and earned money shining shoes at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, he saw education as his path to a better life. When his dad offered him a dime for every encyclopedia book he read, he read them all, A to Z.

After his parents divorced, his father remarried and moved to Santa Rosa, California. His mother died relatively young of leukemia. Teenage Donny headed west to live with his dad and stepmom, Christine. Christine helped reunite Don and his brothers in California. Don spoke reverently of Christine for the rest of his life, and he would regularly bring his own growing family to visit her, both before and after Jerry passed. In her final days, Don went to her home and spent time caring for her.

Don met Donna at the county fair in Santa Rosa. Raised LDS by her mother, Lee Kraai, Donna introduced him to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Don converted, and they married in 1969. He was eighteen! They welcomed Dawn in 1971, Delayna in 1973, Donald Jeffrey (Jeff) in 1975, and Denise in 1976. David, the youngest, arrived in 1978.

Don was a tremendous provider. In his early days of fatherhood, he worked long hours, held multiple jobs, and did what was necessary to support his family. He enlisted in the Navy and tested into engineering, working on submarine simulators and early computer hardware. He continued his career specializing as a technician for Digital Equipment Corporation’s VAX mainframe computers. That expertise led him to Ellensburg and Central Washington University, where he worked for 20 years maintaining one of the last VAX clusters still in use.

Our Dad was also an incredible father. He had compassion for everyone, regardless of religion, race, or economic circumstances. Learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ reinforced those core values. He had seen life from many different sides, and those experiences left a lasting mark on him. He instilled that same conviction in us, and when it was tested, we saw how deep it went to his core.

He was a mountain of a man but was also a ton of fun. In the winter, he could carry five sleds for five children up any hill, and in the summer, he could carry five children up any waterslide. He could make a game out of anything to keep us entertained. He could bench press each of us until our early teens as long as we stayed “light as a feather and stiff as a board.” He loved playing basketball, golf, bowling, roller skating, water polo, diving (gracefully, mind you, to the wonderment of all), tennis, volleyball, racquetball, and just about any other sport. He could watch golf on TV with his eyes closed, snoring, and spring up instantly if anyone changed the channel.

He could give advice or just listen. He could fix cars, computers, and anything in between. He loved listening to music of all kinds and it was always a gift to see how it moved him. He shared so much by just being himself: what confidence and curiosity look like, how a quick wit and a big heart can coexist, how to stand for your principles. He loved his family and we loved him back with all we have.

He was preceded in death by his mother Carolyn McCord Banks; father Jerry Merrith Goodly Allen; step-mother Christine Allen (Sand); and his brother, Ron Allen.

He is survived by his wife Donna, children Dawn & (Matt) Easley with Trevor and Sage; Delayna & (Ron) Breckon with Ben (Alesha) and daughter Ellen, Layla and Jane; Jeff & (Amy) Allen with Kate, Julia, Charlie (Joey Olsen), Anne Marie (Kaelan) Pratt with daughter Nova, Henry, and Nora; Denise & (Jim) Sisko with Palmer and Claire; Dave & (Rachel Ferm) Allen with Harbor and Perran; brothers Tom Allen, Chris Allen, Fred Allen, Alvin Stearnes; sister Mamie Fisher.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, October 11th, at 2 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 808 S. Magnolia St., Ellensburg, WA.