Darrell Wayne Allen died at his home in Kent Washington on Sunday 21 February 2021 at the age of 65 years. He was surrounded by his wife of 25 years Felisa as well as his in-laws Stephen and Elaine Aprill of Santa Monica California, sister-in-law Hilary Aprill Gudgel (Timothy), Aunt Susan and friends until his passing.

Darrell was born June 2, 1955 in Poplar Bluff Missouri, the only child of Hubert Darrell Allen, a combat veteran of the Korean War who did small engine repair and Nora Celesta (nee Johnson) Allen, a homemaker who worked for 28 years in the finance department of the telephone company. Most of Darrell's relatives live in northeastern Arkansas where they mostly farmed. Darrell's relatives had been in America since the 1700s and Darrell talked about being Chippewa Cree. His early years were not easy as he was plagued with asthma and to improve their son's health, the family moved to Michigan in Darrell's youth and a little later to Phoenix. They even tried West Texas hoping that the dryer desert climate would help their son's health. Eventually the family settled in Rockwall Texas where Darrell completed junior high school and high school. Since he was a gentle person with a dry wit, he was popular with his classmates and made many friends. One of his proudest achievements was making the high school football team despite his lack of size and his asthma. He was also senior class president. He wanted to be more independent and so he joined the Navy at the age of 18. After basic training in San Diego, he spent a great deal of the next three years at sea for the most part on a rescue and salvage ship (USS Safeguard ARS-25) out of Pearl Harbor. Since his father-in-law was in the service as well, they swapped military stories and complaints since, as everyone knows, complaining is a soldier or sailors' sacred duty. Later when I told him I was taking sailing lessons and learning to tie knots he recounted that his chief petty officer would not let them off the boat for shore leave unless each one of them could demonstrate how to tie a certain naval hitch. During those years he spent a great deal of time in the western Pacific and so, as the Navy often promises, saw the world. In the Navy he was trained in electronics and served as an interior communications mate on board ship. He was first in his basic training class and upon separation from USS safeguard, he received a letter of appreciation from his commanding officer citing Darrell's dedication and devotion and high degree of professionalism while on board. To quote his commander "for all you've done for the ship and the Navy "WELL DONE" ".

After discharge Darrell did a little bit of college but wasn't clear on what his career path should be. He got a job with the phone company in Salt Lake City and worked in several cities including Dallas, Phoenix and Flagstaff Arizona before transferring to Seattle, Washington with the telephone company. Along the way he married and had a child, but that union and two others were not fated to last. Later at the phone company in Seattle he met the woman who was to be the love of his life, Felisa. In part he was attracted to her competence and confidence and her outspoken nature the latter being contrary to his own personality. Since Darrell was shy, he recruited a mutual friend to diplomatically check with Felisa about whether she would be open to coffee or the like. The first date was somewhat humorous as their car broke down and Felisa's father had to rescue them from the freeway. Since Darrell was 12 years her senior, she checked with her mother about whether it was OK to continue seeing Darrell. Her mother told her to "go for it". That led to a 25-year relationship and marriage and a very happy union. They seemed perfectly matched since neither ones' foibles bothered the other. At the phone company Darrell was a key person in customer service especially because of his low-key personality and was cited by the phone company for decades of reliability and perfect attendance. He had many friends though he always commented that he didn't understand why people liked him so much.

His hobbies included riding and maintaining his three motorcycles which included three Harley Davidson's one of which was a custom creation. He dabbled in building slot car tracks, delighted in his pickup truck and 40-year-old Land Cruiser, played volleyball and was a very devoted Dallas Cowboys football fan. When I asked him this year about the Super Bowl he smiled and said there was no Super Bowl unless the Cowboys were in it! He was a fan of television especially sci-fi and horror. Since he spent his career getting up very early in the morning, upon retiring about four years ago he watched his favorite shows into the wee hours. He was an author of a children's book 'Tractor in Space" and enjoyed mixing sound in a garage band.

He was so low-key that even though he was not gloomy, his sister-in-law Hilary took to calling him Uncle Eeyore after the seemingly gloomy donkey with incredible wit and deadpan delivery in the world of Winnie the Pooh.

One of the goodbye greetings he used often was "don't hurt nobody". When he asked his father-in-law, a retired physician, how he would die I told him he would become increasingly tired and take more naps and eventually there would be a nap from which he would not awaken. Later when his wife asked him if he was tired, he looked at her slyly and said, "why do you ask?" We all laughed.

He is survived by wife Felisa Aprill, his mother Nora Celesta (nee Johnson) Allen of Reyno, Arkansas, only child Stephan Darrell Allen, daughter-in-law Jill Allen, granddaughters Makayla and Juliette Allen, stepson Paul Lachica, Aunts Fletta Brewer (Donald) and Debbie Wilkerson (Arnold) and many cousins. He was very close to his two nephews, Simon, and Elliot Gudgel. The cause of death was cancer. He was not afraid of death, faced it bravely and at times with a sense of humor. One of his quotes was ''Live like a Vampire, as if you're already dead". I took that to mean live without fear.

He was proceeded in death by his father Hubert Darrell Allen, grandparents and many of his aunts and uncles. He will be honored with a marker at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington. Darrell Wayne Allen, loving husband, father, and son, who served his country, and his fellow man was funny, humble, and giving. His was a life well lived.

The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider donating to St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Darrell's name as it was his favorite charity.