OWLS HEAD — Eugene L. Allen, 92, of Owls Head passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 after a brief period of declining health.

Born in Rockland on August 24th, 1926, he was the son of Fred L. and Louisa Allen of South Thomaston

He attended South Thomaston (‘Keag) and Rockland schools. In 1944, he enlisted in the Navy, serving on the aircraft carrier USS Bennington during World War II.

Upon honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946, Eugene “Gene” worked alongside his brother, Edward “Ted”, at the Pleasant Street Home Bakery in Rockland. With many comments from Camden customers wishing that such a bakery existed in their hometown, Ted and Gene opened the Camden Home Bakery in 1947 and continued to operate it for 40 years.

In 1947, he married Ava M. Wiggin of South Thomaston. They lived in Camden from 1947 to 1992, before moving to Owls Head. They wintered in Lakeland, Florida from 1982 to 2015, joining many of their Camden snowbird friends.

Gene and Ava have been active in local Granges for many years, and were most recently members of Penobscot View Grange of Glen Cove. Gene was past Master of the Wessaweskeag and St. George Granges. They also attended the Union Senior Citizens.

Music was a very important part of Gene’s life. He played the organ, accordion, and banjo, but was most known for playing the mandolin. He was part of a music group that entertained Knox Nursing Home patients every Tuesday.

Gene was a faithful and special part of the Littlefield Memorial Baptist Church family in Rockland. At age 90, he played Silent Night on his mandolin at the church Christmas Eve Service.

In addition to his parents, Gene was predeceased by an infant daughter, Eleanor Jean, and his brother, Edward. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Ava; his daughter, Marie Paisley and husband Bill, of Kittery; his son, Danny Allen and wife Kathy, of Rockland; his four granddaughters: Kellie Paisley-Hopper and husband Chris, of Sidney, Lynn Dube and husband Dave, of South Berwick, Emily Spaulding and husband Jeff, of Swanville, and Bethany O’Brien and husband Jason, of Fairfield; his nine great-grandchildren: Maxwell and Megan Hopper, Melanie and Alisha Dube, Ella and Siena Spaulding, and Deacon, William, and Vivienne O’Brien, as well as many extended family members.

Upon entering the gates of Heaven, Gene might well have been asked by Saint Peter for the Persian Bun recipe. Of course, we all know Gene’s answer: “We don’t give that out.”

Friends and relatives are invited to visit from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland, where a funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, October 17. A reception will follow at the funeral home’s 104 Limerock reception center. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Littlefield Memorial Baptist Church, One Waldo Avenue, Rockland, ME 04841.

To share a story or memory with the Gene’s family, please visit their Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.