Thomas “Tom” H. Allen, age 62, of Helena

Thomas “Tom” Hardin Allen

The evening of November 30, 2015, Tom passed away at St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena, MT, with his wife and daughters by his side. Tom battled a particularly aggressive cancer, which was diagnosed the week before his 62^nd birthday, for one and a half months.

Tom was born October 17, 1953, in his paternal grandparents’ home in Kiowa, Oklahoma. He made his entrance before a doctor or hospital could be reached and was delivered by his paternal grandmother with the assistance of his paternal grandfather and namesake, Thomas Allen.  He was the fifth child of Harley Mitchell Allen and Amy Helen (nee Hardin) Allen, joining four older sisters.

Tom moved with his family from Oklahoma to Nebraska and, in 1960, to Idaho. He had fond memories of playing near the irrigation ditches; camping, fishing and hunting; and dirt-biking and driving his Jeep in the desert of southern Idaho.  His parents divorced when he was 11 and he started working when he was 16 to help support his family.

Tom served in the Army from August 1972 to February 1976, primarily in Germany. Before and after serving in the Army and throughout the time he attended college at Idaho State University and the University of Idaho, Tom worked at various factory jobs, changing irrigation pipes and delivering irrigation equipment to farmers, cleaning office buildings, and welding. After graduating from the University of Idaho, Tom moved to Helena and was a substitute teacher in the Helena school district. He joined the Idaho National Guard in February 1981 and transferred to the Montana National Guard when he moved to Montana in the early 1980s, serving continuously through October 2010. He then became a federal civilian employee and worked in various positions at Fort Harrison in Helena until he retired from the Civil Service and the Montana National Guard on October 31, 2010. Tom worked part-time during his retirement years as a substitute teacher in the Helena school district, at the YMCA, and at Shodair Hospital.

On December 9, 1988, Tom married Pearl Marie Highland. Emily Ann was born on December 6, 1992; Tom followed the nurses everywhere they took Emily, because he was worried they would switch her with someone else’s baby. His little family was complete when daughter Amanda Marie was born on December 31, 1998. Tom was a loving father who encouraged his daughters to try new things and actively arranged play dates, birthday parties, and other activities: roller skating, ice skating, ice hockey, bowling, dancing, and motorbike riding. He had Amanda riding a motorbike with training wheels before she could ride a bicycle. He spent hours finding books with strong female characters for Emily, and let her read aloud to him as soon as she could read. Tom was always thinking about his family and planning for the future. He enjoyed planning and taking family vacations to Disneyland, Silverwood, as well as father/daughter trips to Seattle, Chicago, and New York City, and a particularly memorable trip along the Laura Ingalls Wilder highway with Emily.

Tom enjoyed being active and had many and varied interests during his life, including comic books, mythology, history, science fiction, scuba diving, piloting planes (especially his tail dragger), running, boxing, camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, playing his guitar and harmonica, welding, and woodworking. He enjoyed spending time with his children, their friends, and his nieces and nephews. He was a life-long learner; if he did not know how to do something he was interested in, he would learn how to do it. After his retirement, he learned to be a farrier.

Tom’s parents preceded him in death. He is survived his wife and daughter, Amanda, of the family home; daughter, Emily, of Helena, MT; sisters Kitty Hupe, Vicki (Steve) Bennett, and Jenny Bagby of Rupert, Idaho, and Molly (Bob) Nelson of McCammon, Idaho; brother Art (Shirley) Allen of Washington, D.C.; father- and mother-in-law Clifford and Elva Highland of Brusett, MT; and sisters-in-law Phyllis (Gary) Eliasson of Roundup, MT, Pohney (Mark) Feist of Harlowton, MT, and Pandi Highland of Brusett, MT, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Tom’s family would like to thank Dr. Weiner and the staff of St. Peter’s Cancer Treatment Center and Oncology Ward for their professional and caring treatment during Tom’s illness.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Helena YMCA or to the American Cancer Society.

We will celebrate Tom’s life with funeral services to be held on Monday, December 7, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at the Anderson Stevenson Wilke funeral home. Immediately following the funeral services, Tom will be buried at Forestvale Cemetary, surrounded by the mountains he loved and the early pioneers of Montana to keep him company. The family invites you to join them at a reception at Anderson Stevenson and Wilke funeral home, immediately following the graveside service.

Service Schedule

Funeral Service

1:30 p.m.

Monday December 7, 2015

Anderson Stevenson Wilke F.H.

3750 N. Montana Ave.

Helena, Montana 59602

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Graveside Service

Following the Funeral Service

Monday December 7, 2015

Forestvale Cemetery

Helena , Montana 59602

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Reception

Follwoing the Graveside Service

Monday December 7, 2015

Anderson Stevenson Wilke F.H. Social Hall

3750 North Montana Ave.

Helena, Montana 59602

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