Ethan Roy Allen

1923 - 2022

July 6, 1923 - March 21, 2022 Ethan Roy Allen died peacefully on March 21, 2022, at his home in Whittier, California. He was born on July 6, 1923, in Fargo, North Dakota, to Chester Arthur Allen from Michigan and Nellie Frances Pelton from Wyoming, and was the oldest of six siblings. When he was five years old, the family moved to Laramie, Wyoming, opening a small grocery store that helped them survive the Great Depression. When growing up, Ethan was a paperboy for the Denver Post and took over the distributorship shortly before Pearl Harbor. He also was kept busy in the family store as the chief butcher and still managed to graduate at the top of his class from Laramie High School.

Ethan attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie where he was on the wrestling team and graduated in 1943, with honors, in electrical engineering. As part of the war effort, his first job was working on electric motors for the B29 Bomber airplane. He was later hired by a defense contractor and sent to Columbia University to study mass spectrometry and high vacuum engineering. This took him to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he eventually figured out this top-secret facility was part of the Manhattan Project. Not wanting to continue working in Oak Ridge, he joined the U.S. Navy in 1945 and finished out the war as a technician repairing recently developed radar systems.

Ethan met his wife, Alice Tresler, at the University in Laramie. They married in August 1946, and soon moved to California for Ethan to attend the Osteopathic College in Los Angeles on the GI bill. They became the parents of three girls and two boys, and then 6 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. They were married for 72 years at the time of Alice's death in 2019.

Ethan practiced Osteopathic Medicine in Norwalk for 65 years. As a staunch advocate for his profession, he was instrumental in the successful effort to reopen California to the licensing of Osteopathic doctors in 1974. Over the years, he was president for the Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons of California for four terms, long time member of the board, and a permanent member of the legislative committee. He received many professional accolades for his efforts including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.

In 1977, Ethan became the Founding Chairman of the Board of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) located in Pomona, California. This was the start of the Western University of Health Sciences which has grown to 9 colleges and a second campus in Lebanon, Oregon. He remained on the Board of Trustees as Treasurer and taught classes on manipulation until his health started to fail. Ethan rarely missed a white coat ceremony signifying a student's entrance into the medical profession at either campus. One of the honors he was most proud of was when the University named a park on the Pomona campus, the Ethan R. Allen, D.O. Park.

Both Ethan and Alice saw the devastating effects of alcoholism and drug addiction on people's lives and wanted to make a difference in their community. So, in the early 1970s, they were key in establishing the Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, L.A. CADA, a treatment provider for addiction and behavioral problems, based in Norwalk, California. This was a life-long passion to help others become healthy adults and give them a second chance for a better life. Ethan served as President of the Board numerous times, and both were active board members until recently. LA. CADA has grown to 11 locations with residential and outpatient programs. In addition, Ethan donated his time once a week to provide free physicals and medical care for the clients. They were very proud and humbled to have the recovery house named the "Allen House." And, later, a transition home for women was named Alice's House.

Since 1962, Ethan and Alice were active members and supporters of the Whittier First Methodist Church attending Sunday school and services every Sunday. Most recently Ethan was Chairman of the Missions Committee and a member of the Administrative Council.

Ethan was an active member of the Uptown Whittier AM Y's Service Club with twenty years of perfect attendance. He also served as president and Brotherhood Chairman.

Ethan's hobbies included beekeeping, fishing, gardening, owning a horse ranch (run by his youngest daughter), traveling to yearly family reunions, and keeping up with the great grandchildren's adventures. He enjoyed watching sports, playing cards with family, and keeping boxes of See's chocolates on hand to treat his visitors.

Ethan is survived by his children - Margie Miller m. Rod, Sam m. Pam, Nancy Corbett (D.) m. Craig, Greg (D.), Cindy Lapp m. Steve and Swiss-born son, Mario Rampa. Grandchildren Chris Crossno m. Pete, Alisa Miller, Scotty Allen, Joe Corbett, Matt Allen m. Jenna, and Jon Corbett m. Heather. Great grandchildren Quinn and Ella Crossno, and Claire and Jack Corbett.

Services will be held on April 23rd at 11 am at the United Methodist Church of Whittier, 13222 Bailey St., Whittier, CA, followed by a lunch reception.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to:
• L.A. C.A.D.A www.lacada.com/support/ or
• College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University, Greg Allen Memorial Scholarship Fund, alumnifriends.westernu.edu/allen