Donald “Donnie” Allen passed away on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at MacKenzie Place in Grande Prairie, AB, at the age of 88 years old.

Don was born on August 19,1936 in the Fairview Hospital. He was the oldest child and only son of George and Edna Allen. In short order three sisters joined the family, Velma, Irene and Audrey.

The family lived on the Allen homestead west of Worsley across the road from his maternal grandmother. Growing up meant weekly family gatherings on Sundays, community events and many good times with the cousins from Saskatchewan.

He attended school at Marina and in the winter used a horse and toboggan to make the trek. Donald left school during grade 10 to run cat for Billy West, and his catskinner days were born. He also spent a complete winter firefighting in the muskeg north of Worsley, AB.

On April 7,1961, he married Mae Summers. They lived in George and Edna’s yard in the old Marina Post office. The following year Rhonda was born, followed by Ross and Greg.

Don moved his young family out to the Bunse homestead in 1968. His passion was farming. The family started out as a mixed farm with chickens, pigs, cows and a horse. That gave way to grain farming and clearing more land, and with the help of his family, he cleared the surrounding land and expanded the farm. To supplement the farm, he worked as a cat-skinner for various people, such as Jim Moffat Sr, BW Basnett, Borek Construction in the Artic and Heinz Construction south of Grande Prairie. He survived a plane crash in the Arctic, dropping his cat through the ice, and had to tie a rope from the kitchen to the bunk house so he wouldn’t get lost in the Arctic blizzards.

He loved to dance and participate in community activities. In his retirement, Don took great pride and enjoyed working with his friends to build the Worsley Ski Hill. He even learned to ski later in life. Don also belonged to the Worsley Historical Society and many world problems were solved at the men’s morning coffee, which he did not like to miss. He and Mae were caretakers of the Many Island Park for 8 years, where he kept up his visiting and enjoyment of the outdoors.

Donnie had many hobbies, which he greatly enjoyed. He loved to work with leather; making wallets and purses, spinning wooden spools on the lath and many hours were spent building and rebuilding radios. He worked hard to become a ham radio operator, spending many hours in the basement in his “ham shack” catching skip from around the world.

He knew how to sew and knit and would show off his skills every now and then. He built many model ships, and, in his retirement, he spent several years building from scratch a paddle wheeler to scale that once operated on the Peace River.

In 2010, he and Mae left the farm in Worsley and moved to Grande Prairie and where he became part of the Ham Radio Operators Club, and he also took up painting.

Donnie took great pride in his grandchildren and loved spending time with them. He spent many hours on the farm with Chelsey, Colby and Lance, visiting Kelsey and Kyla, and became an avid softball fan, following Chris and Mat from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island, cheering and laughing all the way.

In 2013, Don had a heart attack and followed by a debilitating stroke in 2015 which left him paralyzed on his right side and confined to a wheelchair. In 2017 he moved into MacKenzie place. He never complained about his misfortune and managed to communicate, laugh and share memories with family and friends that visited. His kindness and love shone through.

Don will be sadly missed by his loving wife, Mae; daughter Rhonda King (Terry); sons Ross Allen (Michele) and Greg Allen (Connie); grandchildren Chris King (Courtney), Mathew King (Jennifer), Kelsey Gillette (Dustin), Kyla Allen (Brett Gorham), Chelsie Norrie, Colby Allen and Lance Allen; great-grandchildren Macy, Nash, Kay, Kinsey and Keira King, Parker and Knox Gillette, Jace and Lilianna Norrie; sisters Velma Peters and Irene Chilcote (Don); as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Don was predeceased by his parents, George and Edna Allen; sister Audrey; and brothers-in-law Allan Burns and Pat Peters.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Whispering Pines Ski Hill.

Box 180, Worsley AB, T0B 3W0 or to info@skiworsley.com

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 2:00pm at Oliver’s Funeral Home (10005 107 Ave, Grande Prairie, AB)

Condolences may be sent by visiting www.oliversfuneralhome.com.