Lisa T. Parechanian Allen

Lisa T. Parechanian Allen

NEW IPSWICH, NH -- Lisa T. Parechanian Allen (nee Siobhan McInnes), 54, passed away peacefully, after an extended illness, on Sunday, August 25, 2013 at her home in New Ipswich, NH, surrounded by loving family and pets. Lisa was born May 10, 1959, daughter of the late James and Sylvia Parechanian of Naugatuck, CT. She was the beloved wife of 28 years of Scott Allen and the devoted mother of twin daughters, Ana and Elena Allen.

Lisa was the top 1973 Josephine A. Mahr scholar from Hillside Middle School where she was a pioneer student in the formation of the town's first Ms. Babe Ruth (softball) League. An accomplished concert pianist, she was a 1996 finalist in the Hartt School of Music competition. She graduated as Valedictorian of Notre Dame Academy High School (Waterbury, CT) in 1977. She was also a 1977 Connecticut Junior Miss finalist, winner of Creative and Performing Arts Award.

For college, Lisa had to make a choice between Juilliard, Yale, Cornell, and MIT. She took her parent's advice and pursued her love of math and science. She was the recipient of both the Century Brass and UniRoyal, Inc. Scholarships while she earned her Bachelor and Master of Science Degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Metallurgical Engineering. After working at Bell Laboratories for her summer internships, she decided to pursue her Ph.D. Although accepted to continue at MIT, she selected the University of California / Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory for their pioneering program in Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Synchrotron studies where, in 1987, she earned her Doctorate of Science in Metallurgical Engineering with a minor in Physics and could be formally called Dr. Allen.

During her doctorate studies, Lisa met Scott Allen in 1984 while they were both taking flight lessons in Palo Alto, CA. It was love at "first flight" and they were married one year later. Together they enjoyed flying, motorcycle riding, scuba diving, skiing, sailing, golfing, Armenian dancing, and nearly all aspects of life.

For a decade, Lisa worked at Ibis Technology originating and managing programs for silicon-on-insulator crystal growth, a material used in many high-tech applications. In 1998, Lisa became the peer elected 1998 General Chair of the IEEE International Silicon-on-Insulator Conference and was a member of the Executive Committee for the IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference.

Late in 1998, Lisa joined Epion Corporation as Technology Programs Director where she was a key developer of gas cluster ion beam technology for improving semiconductor surfaces. While there, Lisa continued her support of graduate students and helped to graduate PhD students from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, University of Florida, Tufts, and others.

Scott and Lisa, and their daughters, Ana and Elena, became a family in 1998. Ana and Elena were a joyful change in Lisa's life. The family moved from MA to NH in 2003 so the girls could be raised in the beautiful surrounding of rural New Hampshire. Also in 2003, Lisa joined Galaxy Compound Semiconductors as the Director of Technology. She was thrilled with the reality of working from home to be there for her daughters as well as spearheading Galaxy's research. Dr. Allen became the 2008 co-developer of an extended IR transmission GaSb substrate for advanced space applications.

For over 20 years, Lisa volunteered as an MIT Educational Councilor responsible for assisting local high school students with their MIT applications. In 2013, Lisa received the MIT George Morgan Educational Council Award in honor of her dedicated service.

Through the years and intense scientific studies, she enjoyed receiving and giving talks, working with the synchrotron, and traveling with her husband and children to Japan, Alaska, Canada, Romania, Switzerland, France, England, Mexico, Egypt, the Middle East, Scotland, and different labs throughout the USA. Lisa gave lectures on infrared crystals, gas cluster ion beam technology, silicon-on-insulator processing, and Czochralski growth methods. With over 135 technical publications, numerous invited and guest lectures, and five technical patents, she especially was happy with those published in co-authorship with her husband and her dad regarding a combination solution to issues in respective fields of Aerospace and Chemical Engineering. She was one of a handful of people in the entire world to grow InSb and GaSb from raw semi-metals without doping compensation. She and "Gordon" teamed up several years ago to provide the world with an extended IR wavelength crystal that is still the only one of its kind. Much of her work was classified. Lisa cherished lakeside living with her family (and all the stray animals her daughters brought home). Lisa was steadfast in her friendships. Lisa thanked God for every wonderful day and was a cheerful person, helping others to be, too.

Lisa was a member of the St. Vartanantz Armenian Church in Chelmsford, MA. She was predeceased by her parents, James and Sylvia Parechanian of Naugatuck, CT. who were married for 54 years. Besides her beloved husband and soul mate Scott Allen and beautiful twin daughters, Ana and Elena Allen, Lisa leaves her relations: the Allen's of WA state, close cousins the Guregian, Parechanian, Boghosian, Kazanjian, Goodsoozian, and Boyajian families of MA, and her recently found McInnes family from Florida.

ALLEN -- LISA PARECHANIAN. Vistitation will be held on Friday from 4 until 8pm at the BLAKE FUNERAL HOME, 24 Worthen Street, CHELMSFORD. Her funeral service will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Vartanantz Armenian Church, 180 Old Westford Road, Chelmsford, MA. Burial will be in Westlawn Cemetery, Lowell, MA. For those that desire, contributions may be made in Lisa's name to St. Vartanantz Armenian Church (www.stsvartanantz.com) or the Heifer International Project (www.heifer.org). Funeral Director, Paul A. Hardy, Jr. For online condolences visit BLAKEFUNERALHOME.COM.