David William Allen

David William Allen obituary, Portland, OR

David William Allen

David Allen Obituary

Obituary published on Legacy.com by Threadgill's Memorial Services, LLC on Aug. 4, 2025.

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David William Allen, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on Tuesday, July 29th, 2025. Thirteen days previous, he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and it progressed more quickly than any of us anticipated.

David was born to Dareld and Odette Allen in Kemmerer, Wyoming, on January 2, 1939. He was closely followed by his twin brother Donald. His sisters, Betty and Mary, and brothers Donald, Thomas, and Sidney, all lived their early years in the small town of Pinedale, Wyoming. David kept things hopping in town by building soapbox racers and wood slat airplanes.

While living in Pinedale, missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found their family, and David and the others joined the church. They were the first members in that town, and Sunday meetings were held in their home for many years.

In 1951, David and his family moved to Spokane, Washington. David's aptitude with electrical and mechanical things with many moving parts continued to blossom there as he built motorized scooters, remote-controlled airplanes, crystal radios, and tesla coils. He excelled in metal shop, electronics, drafting, and choir. David and Donald both graduated from West Valley High in Spokane in 1957.

David served as a missionary for the LDS church in the Spanish American Mission in Texas and New Mexico, teaching the gospel mostly in the San Antonio & Dallas areas. David got special permission to bring his vintage Model A Ford with him, and that car jump-started many conversations about the Gospel and Jesus Christ.

David studied electrical engineering at Brigham Young University. He did great there when he applied himself, inventing a scale model of a self-driving car and becoming one of the most valued lab instructors. He first earned a 2 year technical engineering degree and then a five-year engineering degree.

In 1963, while at BYU, David met Lynna Hemingway. It is not known if it was his rad rocket Studebaker or his happenin' dance moves that won her over, but they were married the next year on September 1, 1964, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

In 1967, after publishing an award-winning IEEE paper at BYU, David was hired to work as an engineer at Tektronix in Beaverton, Oregon. He moved his family there and began working for the advanced circuit group of the state-of-the-art oscilloscope company. David designed some revolutionary miniature oscilloscopes that were the first to combine digital and analog signal measurement.

After 27 years at Tektronics, David worked at Planar Cyber Optics and then finished his career at NuVision, creating active shuttering 3D glasses for movie theaters.

David loved inventing and creating. In addition to his electronics, he made stained glass windows, repaired antique clocks and watches, restored old cars, and captured and displayed stereo 3D images, winning dozens of awards from the Photographic Society of America.

Dave has also given his life to service. He served for five years as the transportation coordinator for the LDS Oregon Portland mission and 21 years as an ordinance worker in the Portland, Oregon LDS temple. More important than all of these is his service to his wife, Lynna. Several months ago, she had a stroke and needed daily assistance and care. We think, but don't know, that Dave was ignoring his cancer symptoms while he was caring for her, and he gave until he could no longer stand. When he could no longer serve, his time was done.

David W. Allen is survived by his wife, Lynna Hemingway Allen; son, Robert W. Allen (Miki), Timothy R. Allen (Chelan); Janna L. Billman (Robert); Julie M. Ritchey (Roxie); and Carrie S. Denyer (Steven); 23 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Dareld and Mary Odette Allen; his sister, Betty A. Ward; his twin brother, Donald B. Allen; and two stillborn children, Sarah Allen and Michael Allen.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 8640 SW Turquoise Loop, Beaverton, Oregon. The family will visit with friends before the services at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be in the Sunset Hills Memorial Park.

This is the zoom link for his funeral service.

https://zoom.us/j/92140959566?pwd=lWjfDaYnmKGmgifDJz0kVqIJhFDk4V.1

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

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