Allen Smith died December 10, 2018 at home with family and caregivers at his side.
Allen was born in San Jose, CA in 1932 to Roy and Bernice Smith. He was a graduate of Lincoln High School, and joined the US Navy in 1950. In 1951 he married his high school sweetheart Loel Davis.
He served a combat tour aboard the aircraft carrier the USS Antietam during the Korean War.
After military service, he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University.
Allen’s work career included time at United Technologies working on the Titan IIIC rocket project, at IBM, and at General Electric where he was project manager for several nuclear power plant construction projects.
Al was a great supporter of his children: Glen, Lucy-Diane, and Eileen, and their pursuits in sports, cheer leading, and music through the Booster Club at Archbishop Mitty HS in San Jose, CA.
In retirement, Allen and Loel were able to travel to England, Scotland, and to the Azores and Spain – the ancestral homes of his parents.
They moved to the community of Corralitos, CA in 1989.
He was active in Holy Eucharist Catholic Church for many years as a Eucharistic Minister and in the Feed the Poor ministry.
Al began a second career and followed his love of fish and conservation as the manager of the volunteer organization The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. He helped the fish hatchery operation for over a decade.
Allen is survived by his loving wife Loel; children Glen [Bunny] Smith, Lucy-Diane [Dan] Cunningham, Eileen [Michael] Demers; sisters Marilyn [Bill] Humphrey, Shirley [Sal] Scurti, sister-in-law Gerry [Bill] McCalister; three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Services will be held at Holy Eucharist Catholic Church in Corralitos on December 19 with the rosary beginning at 10:30 and Mass at 11:00.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org, the Parkinson’s Foundation at parkinson.org, or Hospice of Santa Cruz County at hospicesantacruz.org.
