Peter Richard ALLEN

1935 - 2021

PETER RICHARD ALLEN February 4, 1935 - August 13, 2021 Peter Allen -- devoted husband, proud dad, loving grandpa, teacher, professor, jazz fan, cyclist, and paddler -- died in his 87th year. He is deeply missed by his wife, Carol McLennan; his five children, Geoffrey, Philip (Jenifer Rush), Sophie (Emily Spensieri), Kate (Joseph Shabason) and Elliott; and his grandchildren, Curran, Caelen, Louie and Sunny. Peter was a Torontonian to his core, and lived within a mile of his childhood home for nearly his entire life. He grew up on Davisville Ave., the son of Richard Allen and Marian Matthews; he was predeceased by his sister, Helen (Paul, deceased) and brother, Hugh (Ruth). He attended Hodgson Middle School and North Toronto Collegiate Institute. He drove a pop delivery truck in his youth, the source of his encyclopedic knowledge of Toronto streets and his proficiency at parking downtown -- though as an adult he always preferred his bicycle, which he rode confidently into old age. He raised his own family on Cornish Rd., where at the annual street party he tried and mostly failed to win the shoe kick contest and the slow bike race. He was a devotee of the English language: an avid reader, a professional scholar, but most importantly to him, an enthusiastic teacher. He earned his M.A. from the University of London and his B.A. and PhD from the University of Toronto. He started out as a high school English teacher in Dundalk, Ontario. He later returned to U of T as a lecturer and eventually became a Professor of English; he was a widely respected figure at Innis College. He specialized in Victorian literature, but he rarely mentioned his citations or other academic achievements to his family: once, when his daughter excitedly pointed out that the public library carried his book, he assured her almost no one had ever read it. The proudest moment of his career came the year before he retired, when he won an award for outstanding teaching as voted by students. After retirement, he taught English as a Second Language to Canadian newcomers. His zeal for English did not end with his workday. He must have been among the most prolific users of the Deer Park public library branch, regularly checking out and returning stacks of books at a time. He liked to read them in his favourite living room armchair, usually accompanied by an oversized tabby cat (Sid, then Brad). His wide-ranging readership, sharp intellect, and genuine interest in others' views made him a fabulous conversationalist. His second marriage, of 38 years, was one of true partnership: Carol and Peter respected each other as equals. He was fiercely proud of his five children and bragged about them shamelessly. Peter, with the help of his kids and others, designed and built a family cottage on Muldrew Lake, spending many happy summers mingling with extended family at Sing Songs and Silver Island get togethers. He loved canoeing, always urging his family to synchronize their paddling strokes -- for speed, but also style. After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2002, he stayed active and interested, continuing to bike downtown for jazz shows and family dinners at Lee Garden. In his final, difficult years, he received extraordinary care at Kensington Gardens long-term care home. His family is deeply grateful to the staff there, especially for their care and compassion throughout the pandemic. Given COVID-19 restrictions, his family is planning a private memorial service at a future date. In lieu of flowers, his family would appreciate donations to Parkinson Canada.