The Reverend Dr. Richard Allen—whose inquiring spirit was manifested in thoughtful preaching and activity in several UU study groups and conferences—died on 22 October 2017, at the age of 93.

Throughout his ministry, the Rev’d Mr. Allen showed an appreciation for life’s deep questions that resist easy or black-and-white answers. He once mused, “On my tombstone, there could be my name, my dates, and the sentence, ‘It is more complicated than that.’”

Richard Lovett Allen was born on 14 July 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Marion Ream Allen and Clifford W. Allen, and grew up in Columbus. In 1946, after three years in the U.S. Army, he began study at Ohio State University, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ceramic engineering in 1948 and 1949. After 15 years in that field, he discerned a call to ministry and in 1964 entered Harvard Divinity School (HDS). Dick married his beloved Lois in 1967 and the same year received his S.T.B. from HDS.

Mr. Allen was ordained on 2 May 1968 by the Palo Alto (CA) Unitarian (now UU) Church but put off ministerial service to pursue further study at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, completing his Ph.D. in 1971. He was settled at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu (1972– 80), followed by a call to the First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City where he served for 14 years. On retiring in 1994, he was named Minister Emeritus, his spouse Lois was named Choir Director Emeritus, and the church named its new courtyard in their joint honor.

At the time of Richard’s death, survivors included his spouse of 50 years, Lois, siblings Margaret, John, and Joseph, children Bruce Klickstein, Laura Crowder, Robin Klickstein, and Joe Allen, seven grandchildren, and six great grandchildren