Obituary of David West Allen

David West Allen, 90, of Edina, formerly of Minneapolis, died March 2 at Methodist Hospital with family at his side after a brief illness. He was born in Johnson City, New York to Evelyn and Herbert Drew Allen in 1927. At 17 he enlisted in the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program to train as a physician but ended up serving regular duty in the 37th Constabulary Squadron from 1945-1947. He graduated from Harvard University in 1950 and Harvard Medical School in 1954. After doing post-doctoral work at Cal Tech, he worked as a hematologist at Boston City Hospital and Mass General Hospital while teaching at Harvard Medical School. After moving to Minneapolis in 1974, he was a hematology/oncology physician at the Minneapolis VA hospital and taught at the University of Minnesota Medical School until his retirement in 1997. He was passionate about biomedical research during his professional career, and passionate about watercolor painting, reading history, process theology, and trying to understand quantum physics until his passing. He is predeceased by two sisters and a brother, and his loving wife Barbara, to whom he was married from 1953 until her death in December 2011. He is survived by three children: David (Mary) Allen of Wilder, VT, Beth (Roy) Ramthun of Athens, WV, and Rob (Tim Anderson) of Minneapolis, as well as four grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. A celebration of David’s life will be held Monday, March 12 at 10 am at Lynnhurst Congregational United Church of Christ, 4501 Colfax Ave S with a reception following at the church. Memorials are preferred to Doctors Without Borders or Lynnhurst Congregational Church. Arrangements by Cremation Society of Minnesota.