Obituary of David Noble Allen

David was born in Spokane and graduated from North Central High School in 1947. He attended Gonzaga University, graduating in 1955 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. During his college years, he joined the Naval Reserves. After graduating from Gonzaga, he worked at Bovay Engineering and then the Bremerton Naval Shipyard. Dave met the love of his life, Mary Norine, at a Catholic Alumni function at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle in October of 1960. He was so interested that he took the ferry boat from Bremerton to Seattle every night to meet Norine. They were married at St. Monica’s Catholic Church on Mercer Island on April 8, 1961. The happy couple moved to California, where they lived for 12 years, with Dave continuing to work as an engineer at the General Services Administration in San Francisco, followed by Point Mugu Naval Air Station, and Port Hueneme. During this time, they had two children, Clyde and Theresa, and Mary stayed home to care for them. When they were in elementary school, Mary returned to nursing. Following the years in California, the Allens returned to wonderful western Washington, settling in Olympia. Dave worked in real estate and engineering at Tacoma Boat before his retirement. Dave’s parents instilled a love of the outdoors that carried into his adult life, camping, fishing and exploring the great outdoors. Fishing provided the thrill of the hunt, and camping allowed him to satisfy his curiosity to see new places and experience the sweeping views that each twist and turn had to offer. For Dave, the trip was always about the exploration and journey, far more than the destination. Dave’s mom, Margaret, was an avid card player, hosting a regular group of her friends to play the game of Bridge. At the tender age of 10, she and her friends realized that he could fill out the foursome, if only he knew the game. Over the years, the game of Bridge was a social venue for Dave, while also presenting a great game of strategy, which helped keep his mind sharp. Dave was a lifelong learner with a particular interest in all things scientific but with a special interest in global climatology, space weather and volcanoes. In 1979, he took his family to see the total eclipse of the sun, visible in totality in Eastern Washington. They camped in Goldendale along with other eclipse-watchers and the dog. The highlight for Dave was to see the phenomena known as “Bailey’s Beads” and to see the shadow of the moon rushing across the fields. In keeping with his interest in spectacular natural events, when Mt. St. Helens rumbled to life, he immersed himself in the science of vulcanology. On the day of the big eruption in 1980, he took his children to the Winlock interchange on I-5 so they could view the event from a safe distance and he took many photos. His fascination with the mountain continued and he visited many times over the years as the area recovered. Along the way, he kept every newspaper article he could find about it and developed a small collection of books on the topic. Dave was a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks (aka B.P.O.E. or the Elks). He joined the Elks in 1955 and was a continuously active member for 63 years until his passing. The Elks provided an avenue for Dave to support the many charitable causes and good works that he passionately believed in. Since moving to Olympia, he has been a member of the local Elks Lodge 186, and most recently served as Treasurer. Dave is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary Norine, his children Clyde (Maryann) and Theresa, and grandchildren Jeffrey (Roshni), Christopher, and Laura. He was preceded in death by his parents Clyde Burton and Margaret Allen. The Allen family is grateful for all of the expressions of love and support. Please leave memories of Dave or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.