Dennis James Allen
Obituaries
Daily Sentinel page 3D - June 7, 2020
Dennis James
Allen
May 21, 1952 - June 1, 2020
Dennis James Allen, age 68,
died peacefully on June 1, 2020.
He died at his home in Glade
Park, CO, after a long illness.
Dennis had deep roots in the
Grand Valley. His grandparents
homesteaded on the Redlands.
His mother ran a private
kindergarten for many years and
his father was an engineer on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.
Dennis attended Grand Junction High School where he played
tuba in the marching band and was the Drum Major in his Senior
year. He played on the basketball team. He participated in Civil Air
Patrol and loved to fly. He worked at KQIL radio as an announcer.
Dennis joined the Air Force in 1970, was based in Anchorage,
Alaska after brief duty in Vietnam. He attended Mesa State College
and Colorado State University. Dennis completed a degree in
Industrial Hygiene.
Dennis had many fascinating jobs; he was the safety officer
at the uranium mine in Tickaboo, UT. He worked on the Exxon
Valdez clean-up. He worked for Raytheon and Micron. Returning
to Colorado in 2003, he consulted for the Forest Service, Shaw
Construction, the Dept of Energy and the VA. He was devoted to
the health and safety of workers.
Dennis was most of all in love with the mountains. He was an
avid skier and mountain climber. He finished 36 of the Fourteeners,
climbed Mt. McKinley in California and peaks in Alaska. Dennis
was enamored with animals; he owned many dogs, cats, horses and
goats. They in turn were in thrall to him. Dennis’ hobby was model
railroading.
Dennis is survived by his wife, Leah Lamb; children, Seth
(Kristin) and Cierra Allen; sister, Carole Ann Strobl; uncle, Milt
Cass (Mary); step-children, Cooper John Dunston (Molly), HK
Dunston (Thor Simon), and Kirin Stryker (Lev); granddaughters,
Ada Simon, Nola Stryker, and Phenix Allen, and nephews, Michael
and Mark Strobl and their families.
Our family would particularly like to remember the staff of Grand
Valley Oncology and HopeWest Hospice who were so important to
Dennis during his illness. Our deepest thanks to Dan O’Brien, Eric
Pace, Amanda Stanley, and Mary Ellen Ireland, who assisted him
in his final days.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to HopeWest or
Community Hospital Foundation
