Russell (Russ) A. Allen, 79
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 14 years, 7 months AGO
Russell (Russ) A. Allen, 79, of Coeur d'Alene, passed away Wednesday, May 4, 2011, of natural causes.
Russ was born in Jim Thorpe, Pa., on May 27, 1931, to Alex and Pearl Allen where he was raised and graduated from high school at which time he joined the United States Air Force. In 1951 he met Mary Jo (Jo) Stewart and married the love of his life in 1952 in Amarillo, Texas. Fifty-nine years later his eyes would still light up when she walked into the room. They had four children together and nine grandchildren.
After proudly serving 21 years in the Air Force, Russ and Jo retired to Coeur d'Alene in 1972 where he started a second career in life insurance and then real estate and upon retiring from real estate became a school bus driver for Coeur d'Alene School District and eventually a bus driver for North Idaho College where he got to see all of the college basketball games that he wanted. Besides watching the North Idaho College basketball games Russ loved to fish and camp and was an active member of a church missions group called Sojourners where he and Jo would travel the country and help at different churches.
Russ was a member of the Church of Christ in Dalton Gardens where he will be greatly missed and remembered by all ages for his deep love of the Lord, his involvement and leadership, his enthusiastic singing and always having candy in his pocket for the kids. He will also be remembered by everyone he knew for his great sense of humor, joke telling, hard work ethic, loyalty to his friends and family and who can forget his constant whistling?
Russ is survived by his wife, Mary Jo; children Brad Allen, Barry (Cindy) Allen, Suzy (Kelsey) McHughes and Mandy (Mark) Mood; and grandchildren Steven, Hayden, Emily, Cole, Lyric, Marcus, Johnny and Natalie; as well as numerous in-laws and nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his father and mother, two sisters and and infant granddaughter.
Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, 2011, at the Dalton Gardens Church of Christ, 6439 N. Fourth St., Dalton Gardens. All are invited to come join in the celebration of his life.
Dad you will be missed.