Thomas C. Allanson

Thomas C. Allanson

Beloved husband, loving father, inspirational and unforgettable coach, caring and devoted friend to all, Tom Allanson touched and positively influenced more peoples' lives during his 58 years on this earth than could ever be imagined. He was an extremely social man with a wonderful sense of humor and an incredible exuberance for life. He just plain loved people and people loved him. Tom passed away on April 11, 2009, in the UWMC, due to a disease which had gone undiagnosed for many years and then, more importantly, misdiagnosed for several more. The last year and a half of his life he struggled to survive, utilizing the competitive spirit and drive that was inherent to him. But alas, the medical mistakes and roadblocks continued. In the end, the system failed him miserably and took his life when he had so much more to experience and so much more to give. There are few people on this earth who truly make a difference as Tom did. He will be missed beyond belief.
Tom was born in Burbank, California to Chuck and Ivy Allanson on June 8, 1950. He grew up with his younger brothers, Rick and Bill, in Huntington Beach where he graduated from Marina High School in 1968. Tom was an especially gifted athlete, talented at many sports. In his youth, he excelled at baseball and went on to be drafted by the Houston Astros - first as a high school senior and again while he was attending Golden West Junior College. But Tom was also an exceptional football player. In college he majored in PE with the ambition of getting a degree while playing football and eventually making a career in coaching. He was once touted in the LA Times by his head coach as the "best linebacker they've ever had by a wide margin and the most sought after athlete ever in Golden West JC history." Upon leaving junior college, he was recruited by over 70 Division I and II universities and received offers from just about anywhere he wanted to attend, including such schools as Miami, Notre Dame, UCLA, and USC. He chose UW because his parents and brothers had moved up to the Seattle area and he wanted his family to be able to watch him play. However, after just one quarter, he returned to California because he missed his friends horribly and found the rain in Seattle especially depressing. He no longer played football but continued his education with two more years at Cal State University at Long Beach.
He once again found his path leading him to the state of Washington when his mom became ill in the late 70's. It was at this time Tom felt he should move up here to start a new life and spend more time with his family, especially his mom. Tom's new life here included starting his own family to which he was completely devoted. He met Patti in May 1980, they married on May 12, 1984, and had two wonderful sons, Scott and Brett, of whom he was tremendously proud. Tom took very good care of his family. His family was his world. They will miss him infinitely.
Tom worked for almost 30 years at Boeing - for the first 10 years on the wingline as a mechanic and then he was promoted to management. He was an extremely hard worker and spent endless hours of overtime on the job as a manager. Very highly respected by his superiors, by his fellow managers, and by those who worked on his teams, he was a truly successful leader within the 747, 767, and 777 programs. Tom had an endless number of friends at Boeing who are grieving the loss of his life.
For the past 30 years, Tom also continued his love of sports and coaching. For about the first 10 years after he moved here he played competitive men's softball where he cultivated another huge circle of friends. Through the early 80's Tom coached football for the Edmonds Youth Club and the Boy's Club. Then, when his own boys were old enough to start sports, he volunteered to coach many of their teams, including Univac football, the Boy's & Girl's Club basketball, and Mill Creek LIttle League baseball. He also coached football at Gateway Middle School and most recently was an assistant coach in football and baseball at Henry M. Jackson High School. He absolutely loved coaching and had hoped to continue doing it into his retirement from Boeing. He will be sorely missed by all the kids he coached over the years. He touched the lives of many with his enthusiasm and amazing ability to truly inspire those around him.
Tom leaves behind his wife, Patti; his two sons, Scott and Brett; his brothers, Rick and Bill (Colleen); his half-sister, Donna (George); numerous other members of extended family, and literally many hundreds of friends from California, from sports and coaching affiliations, from Boeing, and from other personal connections. Tom was a one-in-a-million kind of guy. He was a wonderful person with a lot of integrity who always gave love and support to all of those around him.
The family would like to invite all to join them in a celebration of life for Tom on Saturday, May 30, 2009, at Gold Creek Community Church, 4326 148th ST SE, Mill Creek, WA at 1 p.m.