John Allen Obituary

John Christopher "Chris" Allen UPPER A loving brother, son, and uncle, Chris was born in New York City to Lewis H. Allen Jr. and Barbra (née Elliott) Allen. An engineer by blood, temperament, and training, he tackled challenges head-on-from building his own waterfront home to solo sailing Galveston Bay, rowing rugged shores, and leading Continental Airlines' engineering team. After graduating from Lehigh University, he began as an electrical engineer for Pan American Airlines at Idlewild Airport (now JFK), following in his father's footsteps. He later moved to Kemah, Texas, joining Texas International Airlines, where he remained for over 40 years as it evolved into Continental and later United Airlines. A proud Texan by the time the United takeover occurred, he became one of many "ex-Cons" (Continental folk) who resisted the corporate pressure to relocate to Chicago. He retired as Chief Avionics Engineer.

Chris had a passion for the sea, spending his days sailing Clear Lake and Galveston Bay and taking sailing adventures worldwide. He embraced life as a Karaoke enthusiast, dubbing himself "Kemah Sabe." Beneath his staid exterior was a hearty laugh, a love for good company, Miller Lite, and warm sunshine. He cherished his community, often seen with his inflatable dog "Spuds," winning the man-powered division of the Clear Lake Christmas Boat Parade in his decorated rowboat, "Tonto."

Chris is survived by his sister, Barbra Espinal of San Francisco; brothers, Sandy Allen of Westerly, RI, and Terry Allen of Rockport, MA; sister-in-law, Mary Allen; nephews, Nick and Dan Allen; niece, Kate Feininger; and eight great-nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be held on April 26th, 4:30pm, at the Sundance Grill in League City/Kemah.