Obituary: Leslie Allen, Retired Caterer

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Leslie Lawrence Allen, 77, of Leverett, a retired catering worker, died March 22.

Born in Northampton on Oct. 13, 1940, he grew up in Amherst, graduating from Amherst schools. He had a lifelong career in food service, working at Amherst College and Westfield State before joining UMass Amherst catering in 1979. He retired in 2001.

After retirement, he worked part-time as Leverett building custodian.

His volunteer service to the Leverett included serving on the town’s first board of health, many years on the fire department (including three years as chief), and as a trustee and camp manager for Camp Anderson (now Camp Pine Brook).

He also volunteered at the Leverett transfer station, where he worked with the Rattlesnake Gutter Trust to collect and recycle bottles and cans to raise money, as well as helped to collect many pounds of aluminum tabs to donate to Shriners Hospital.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Teresa Gaskalka Allen; his sons James and Wayne Allen, both of Leverett; his daughter Laura Looman, and her husband, John Looman, of Shelburne; daughter-in-law Dawn Berne Allen of Granby; his two sisters, Nancy Murphy of Northampton and Edwina Kreps of Turners Falls; two brothers, Harvey Allen of Amherst and Ted Allen of Florida/South Carolina; three brothers-in-law, Gordon Murphy, Bill Kreps and Raymond Gaskalka; and two sisters-in-law, Sue Allen and Barbara MacEwan.

Donations may be made to the Leverett Volunteer Firefighter Association, 95 Montague Road, Leverett 01054; Springfield Shriners Hospital Tab Project, 46 Canal Drive, Westfield 01085 (aluminum tabs); or Mass Lions Eye Research Fund Inc. (MLERF), PDG, Dr. James Roth, Treasurer, 43 Stewart Terrace, Belmont 02478.