William "Bill" Allen Jr.

William “Bill” Allen Jr. passed away unexpectedly on July 25, 2023.

Bill was born in Boston and grew up in Jamaica Plain, the youngest of three. He enlisted in the Air Force before high school graduation and served from 1965 to 1968, spending much of his service stationed in Turkey during the Vietnam War. His time abroad in the military began a lifelong love of travel: he later explored Europe and North America, telling his family in letters about speeding down the Autobahn, riding horses in Arizona and camping on the beach in Mexico. He met his wife Sara while living in San Francisco, and they moved to the small community of Lopez Island, Washington where they spent happy times.

After several years on the West Coast, Bill and Sara returned to Boston to be closer to family and settled in Roslindale, where Bill started a photography business and they raised their two children. Bill was independent-minded, stubborn, generous, fiercely loyal and a tireless advocate for those he loved, especially his children. He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. In recent years he derived great joy from becoming “Papa” to his first grandchild.

Bill is survived by his children, Scott and Caitlin and his grandson Jack. He joins his wife Sara, who passed away in October 2022.