DOROTHY ALLEN

Dorothy Mabel Allen (nee Kirkwood) passed away on the evening of December 20 after a brief illness.  She was 91.  She died peacefully, with her children and grandchildren by her side.

Born in Liverpool, England on October 2, 1932, to Samuel Kirkwood and Margaret (Stubbs) Kirkwood, she was the youngest of four children and was preceded in death by her older siblings, Jean, Alf, and John.  She was also preceded in death by her husband, John, in 2018 after 63 years of marriage.  She is survived by her three children, Dr. Susan (Michael Sajbel) Allen, Appleton, Peter (Margaret) Allen, Neenah, and Elizabeth Allen, Sale (UK), as well as nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

As a young child, her family moved from Liverpool to the London area where she lived until she married in 1955.  She lived in London through the war years, experiencing many hardships, including rationing and sleeping in a bomb shelter during nightly air raids.  Although these were difficult years, they shaped her in positive ways.

In 1952, long before she knew that she would one day live in America, she had the opportunity to visit her sister, Jean Tune, in Cleveland, OH. (Jean was a “G.I. Bride” who emigrated shortly after the war).  She sailed the Atlantic on the great Cunard ship, the Queen Elizabeth.  The summer-long visit was a wonderful adventure.  She loved America and the Americans she met.  It's no wonder that she happily moved to this country in 1970, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1980.

She had a brilliant mind and excelled academically.  In the early 1950s she worked in the aerospace Industry first for Fairey Aviation, and later D. Napier & Son Ltd. where, before the age of computers, her job included calculating the trajectory of missiles by hand.  She met John at work and they married in 1955.

Dorothy and family moved to Neenah on January 23, 1970, after her husband accepted a job transfer with Kimberly-Clark.  She dedicated her early married life to raising her children.  Later she had the opportunity to travel extensively with John, including trips to Kenya, China, and her favorite… Israel.

Moving to America changed the course of her life.  One of her great joys was involvement with Women's Ministry at Calvary Bible Church in Neenah.  Her involvement began in the early 1970s and continued for over 25 years.  She became a well-known and well-loved teacher and mentored many women.  

Dorothy was known for her extraordinary gift of hospitality.  Over many years, she and John invited hundreds of people to share a meal at their table; a table where food, laughter and lively conversation abounded.  A table where each person felt loved and included.

Her legacy is the many lives she impacted.

A service celebrating the life of Dorothy Allen will be held at 6:00pm on Friday, January 12 at Calvary Bible Church in Neenah, with Dr. Harry Shields officiating. Visitation at the church from 4:00pm until the service. A reception will follow.

Donations in memory of Dorothy may be made to Vida, Appleton https://vidamedicalclinic.org/  OR the Salvation Army Fox Cities https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/foxcities/

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.

Psalm 139:7-10  (ESV)

The family wishes to thank the staff at Touchmark (Devonshire) in Appleton for their kindness and compassionate care in Dorothy's last years.