Retired Rear Admiral Harry Allen, Chief of the Office of Health Services for the U.S. Coast Guard, of Needham died on Sun June 4, 2006 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital West Campus in Boston. He was 80.
Dr. Allen was born in Hopkinton, grew up in Hopedale and graduated from Hopedale High School and the Univ. of Maine in 1949. He later received his masters degrees from Northeastern in 1952, his MPH from Harvard in 1956, and also completed medical school at New York Medical College in 1956. After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II in Italy and Austria, Dr. Allen rose to the rank of rear admiral and the position of chief medical officer of the U.S. Coast Guard. In that position he was responsible for the planning and health care delivery to 40,000 active personnel, as well as to retirees and dependants at 200 different medical facilities. He was also medical advisor to the Secretary of Transportation and Coast Guard Commandant. He is credited with improving programs and facilities at Coast Guard stations around the country. For his services he was awarded the Legion of Merit on October 1980. Prior to his work for the Coast Guard, Dr. Allen spent 18 years with the Public Health Service. For a ten-year period, he provided leadership in implementing the major federal health legislative programs in conjunction with the health commissioners of the six New England states. He was widely recognized for his promotion of alternative health delivery systems, improved nursing home care, comprehensive planning and regionalization of health services.
Dr. Allen spent many years in various assignments throughout the country and has resided in Needham for the past 43 years. He was a Boy Scout leader and a member of Montgomery Lodge of Milford and the Aleppo Temple Shrine. After his retirement from the Coast Guard he served on the Board of Trustees of the Glover Memorial Hospital in Needham for 10 years.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Daphine (Morrison) Allen, his daughters Stephanie Holmes of Lake Oswego OR and Alexis Gallagher of Needham, his son Glen Allen of Oceanside CA and three grandsons John and Michael Gallagher both of Needham and Taylor Allen of Oceanside CA. He was the brother of the late Norma Hall.
A funeral service will be held on Fri June 9 at 11 AM in the Needham Congregational Church 1154 Great Plain Ave. Needham. Interment will follow at Hopedale Village Cemetery in Hopedale. Visiting hours will be in the Eaton Funeral Home 1351 Highland Ave. Needham on Thurs 4-8 PM.
In lieu of flowers memorials in his name may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children 51 Blossom St. Boston, MA 02114.