Art Allen taught and coached at five U.P. schools
MANISTIQUE, MI - Arthur LeRoy Allen, 87, died at his home in Thompson on Wednesday (June 3, 2010) morning.
He was born March 27, 1923 in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of Arthur and Astrid (Larson) Allen. They moved to Manistique later that year and Art spent almost all of his life in the Upper Peninsula . He graduated from Manistique High School.
Art served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II. After the war he continued his education at Northern Michigan University, where he spent three years playing on the football team. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Michigan University. Later during the Korean conflict, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and spent a year at the University of Minnesota. He received his Master of Arts degree from the University of Michigan.
On August 27, 1949 he married Ona Volden in Viroqua, Wisconsin.
Art taught and coached football, track and basketball at a number of schools across Michigan. He spent over 30 years as a teacher, coach and mentor and touched the lives of countless students. He took great pride in his work with high school athletics, which included decades as a sport official and service on the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame for 38 years. He was inducted into the NMU Sports Hall of Fame. He also served two years as the president of the Northern Michigan University Alumni Association. In his free time, Art loved to hunt, fish and golf, but most of all he loved people.
He leaves behind resilient wife, Ona, of Thompson; children Terry (Pam) Allen of Bancroft, MI, Gary (Mary Ellen) Allen of Manitowoc, WI and Dr. John (Barbara) Allen of Iron Mountain; grandchildren Seth (Heather) Allen, Erik Allen, Marc Allen, Melissa Konkle, Megan Allen, Angela Allen, Emily Allen and Kelly Allen and great grandchildren Nathan Allen, Morgan Allen and Olivia Konkle.
Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. on Friday, June 4, 2010 at the Messier-Broullire Funeral Home in Manistique, with veterans' memorial services at 6 p.m. and from 10 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturday June 5, 2010 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Manistique. Funeral services will follow at 12 noon on Saturday at the church with Reverend David Hueter officiating. Burial will be in the Thompson Township Cemetery at Thompson, Michigan.
A luncheon will follow in Augustana Hall at the Zion Lutheran Church in Manistique.
Memorials may be directed to the Zion Lutheran Church of Manistique, the Schoolcraft Memorial Hospice, or the Northwoods Air Lifeline. Online condolences may be expressed at www.mbfuneral.com
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