DUXBURY, Mass. and PONTE VEDRA, Fla. – Ross Edwards Allen died peacefully Aug. 31, 2004. He was born Jan. 1, 1916, in West Orange, N.J., the son of Andrew Woodard and Henrietta Ross Allen. He spent childhood summers at his parents’ birthplace in Searsport and was an active member of the Penobscot Bay Marine Museum there. Ross was a graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. During World War II, he served in Panama and the Galapagos Islands as a captain in the Army Air Corps. After the service, he married Suzanne Tilghman Swenson of South Orange, N.J. and for 17 years he worked for Saco Lowell Textile Machine. During that time he and his family relocated from Saco to the Carolinas. In 1964, Ross was named General Sales Manager for Ward Steel Company of Randolph, Mass., and moved his family to Duxbury, Mass. After his retirement from Ward Steel, he and Lloyd Salt purchased Bass River Marina in South Dennis, where they worked together for 10 years. Upon the sale of the marina, he and his wife spent their winters in Ponte Vedra, Fla., where they enjoyed many years of golf and warm friendships. Ross is survived by his wife, Suzanne; five children, Woody and wife, Suzanne, of Charlotte, N.C., Dorrie and husband, Ted, of Duxbury, Mass., Sandy and husband, Jeff, of Duxbury, Mass., Henrietta Paige and husband, Sherb, of Kingston, Mass. and Andrea and husband, Tony, of Cape Elizabeth. His children are blessed to remember with laughter and joy their many years of childhood pleasures in the South and in Duxbury. Ross introduced them to swimming, tennis, fireworks, fishing, boating, golf and most importantly the love of music and song. Ross’ musical talents were inherited from and polished by his family and life experiences, including sophisticated harmonies with his brothers, Andy and Jack, as well as his participation during his college days in the Mask and Wig Club at Penn. From picnics in the Smoky Mountains to vacations on the sands of Myrtle Beach and Searsport, his humor, laughter and harmony will remain in his family’s memories forever. His 10 grandchildren, Ryan and Kristin Fleming, Julie Allen Whittington and Amanda Allen, Lauren and Andrew Arnold, Alexandra and Max Carter and Dustin Turin and Sawyer Theriault share wonderful memories of yearly vacations to Ponte Vedra and Duxbury. From Christmases shared to 4th of July parades, their lives were enriched by “Poppy’s” humor and love of life. Since Ross had been an avid Red Sox fan, his family is sure that as he departed this life he played some part in the historical loss by the Yankees 22-0 against the Cleveland Indians, as well as the concurrent and serendipitous victory by the Red Sox over the California Angels on Aug. 31, 2004. A private memorial service will be held in the fall. Donations in memory of Ross E. Allen may be made to the Penobscot Bay Marine Museum, PO Box 498, Searsport, ME 04974 or The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center care of MGH Development Office, 200 Charles River Plaza, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114.
ROSS EDWARDS ALLEN
