May 14, 1922 - January 04, 2012
Allan was born in Selma, California, and passed away peacefully at the age of 89 in the Eagle Park Health Care Facility in Qualicum Beach, B.C., with his family by his side. He was predeceased by his eldest daughter, Lynn Lenocker (Durbin), in 1992, and his only son, Teddy, in 1993. He is survived by his wife, Joyce Lee Boyd, of Qualicum Beach, B.C., and his 2 remaining daughters, Leslie Mann (Brian), of Santa Barbara, CA., and Laurel Austin, of Kingsburg, CA. He is also survived by 5 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
Allan attended Selma Union High School in his hometown of Selma, CA, and after graduation he attended Fresno State College nearby. He loved all sports and outdoor activities, and became a champion boxer who was still competing at the time of his enlistment in the United States Marines in 1942. After rigorous military training, he continued to participate in boxing competitions, and won the heavy weight Allied Forces title. As a member of the First Marine Division, he served as an infantry forward scout and sniper throughout the South Pacific theatre, and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was in the thick of the most intense fighting in Marine Corps history, the worst of which was the devastatingly fierce and seemingly endless battle on Peleliu, New Guinea. When the war ended, in a strange twist of fate, Allan was briefly sent to China with the mission of protecting the Japanese!
Allan was discharged from the Marine Corps in 1945, and returned home to be married and start a family. He owned and ran Boyd’s Furniture in his hometown for 26 years, and with his wife, the former Margaret Huff, he raised his four children to adulthood. He filled his recreational time with weekends away on hunting or fishing trips, often involving somewhat foolhardy escapades with a small tightly-knit group of other young husbands and fathers. These fast friends became known to one another as the “Bushwackers”, and their friendships lasted for the remainder of their days. Even as their lives and careers took them far away from Selma, they planned frequent reunions and reveled in sharing their fond memories of the years when they were young and had the world at their feet.
With his family grown and the sale of his store having been completed, Allan realized that he could parlay his love of writing, which he had enjoyed since his high school days, into a second career. He had at that point self-published nine small motivational books of prose and poetry, and he decided to share his writings and insights through the medium of radio. He created his own daily radio show, and his programs were a touchstone for his loyal fan base of listeners for many years.
When he wearied of radio and sought a new challenge, he became a real estate agent and broker, which gave him countless opportunities to make new friends and take advantage of his hometown-boy knowledge of property in his local area.
In 1986 Allan officially retired, went through a divorce, and remarried, this time to his high school sweetheart, Joyce Hobler Lee. They moved to the Parksville-Qualicum Beach area in 1987, after having fallen in love with the scenery and the people.
Allan was a man of many talents and enthusiasms, but his most abiding desire was to be known to one and all as a true “Purveyor of Friendship”. He is remembered for his great sense of humor, his kind and generous nature, his spirit of adventure, his public speaking abilities, and lastly but certainly not least - his glorious and infectious whistle. He was a fine gentleman to the end, and he is sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.