Stanley Douglas Allen

Stanley Douglas Allen, DVM

Stanley Douglas Allen (81), passed away quietly, calmly, and peacefully on Saturday, September 28, 2024 after enduring for multiple years the effects of dementia and Alzheimer's. 

He was born in Provo, Utah to A Douglas and Ruth Hanks Allen. At the age of 6, the Allen Family moved to Hyrum, Utah where he lived throughout his youth. His childhood was filled with gardening, raising animals (rabbits, chickens, pigs, sheep) and working on the Allen Brothers homesteaded wheat farm in Hansel Valley, Box Elder County. Stan attended Lincoln Elementary School and South Cache High School. Hyrum was such a small town that all his teachers were either neighbors, relatives, or members of his church congregation. During his adolescence he participated in extracurricular activities of all types.

Stan was a life-long, active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ by his parents and he lived its principles throughout his life. He attended and graduated from South Cache Seminary and was active in his Aaronic Priesthood quorums. After he graduated from high school, he was called and faithfully served a 2 year proselyting mission in the Central Atlantic States Mission which included Virginia and North Carolina. 

Upon returning home, he continued the Allen family tradition and attended Utah State University in nearby Logan. During his Junior year, he graduated from the Logan Institute with a designation which allowed him to teach Seminary at Logan High School.

In early 1967, during Stan’s Senior year he made acquaintance with Karen Tanner. They courted through the remainder of the school year, through graduation, and into the summer. They got engaged to be married prior to his departure to Iowa State University for Veterinary School. During his first summer break, Stan and Karen reunited and were married in the Logan Temple on June 19, 1968.

In 1971, as a newly graduated and licensed veterinarian, Stan and Karen moved from Ames, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah where he began working as Chief Veterinarian at University of Utah’s Artificial Heart Test and Evaluation Facility. They welcomed their first three children into their family while there.

In 1977, Stan joined Brigham Young University and began working for the Animal Science Department with administrative, clinical, and teaching responsibilities. Their fourth, and last child was born while living in Provo.

In 1978, Stan’s parents accepted a call to serve a mission which necessitated a move back to Cache Valley. Their prayers of the family were answered when Stan attained employment at the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Logan where he’d worked during the summers while in Veterinary School.

Since 1980, the Allen family has lived in their current home where each of the kids attended school, left to serve Church missions, earned degrees from USU, left home, and began careers and families of their own. 

Stan’s motto to life was “if there’s a job to be done, get to it. And once started, stay with it to get’er done”. His work ethic was constant through every facet of his entire life.

Stan was a man of many duties and responsibilities, but he was always a loving husband, father, and grandfather first. He was a man of faith and obedient to his covenants. He was always a humble disciple and follower of Jesus Christ. He faithfully honored his priesthood and served in whatever way he was called – in his home congregation, in boy scouting, in USU young adult wards, with service projects, in the temple, or wherever there was an opportunity to lend a helping hand.

After working at USU for nearly 30 years, Stan retired in 2007. It wasn’t until his retirement banquet that we learned about many of his professional accolades. We learned that as a researcher, he collaborated with academics from all over the world resulting in over 180 presentations and publications. We also learned about the positive impact he had on the lives and future careers of many students he’d advised and assisted. It wasn’t his character to be boastful or to seek attention. He just worked hard because his integrity required that of him.

During his retirement years, Stan and Karen served together in the South Africa Cape Town LDS Mission which included the country of Namibia. This was a life changing and spirit filled experience for them. Serving these humble people who struggled with poverty and the lack of opportunities to improve their circumstances instilled in them a greater appreciation for the blessings of living in the United States of America. A few years after returning home, they answered another call to serve as service missionaries at Cinnamon Creek Camp in Cache Valley.

Stan was an avid reader, supporter of USU sports, enjoyed travelling to faraway places, and would regularly plan trips to conduct family history research with particular focus on convert ancestors. These historical accounts will provide great reminders of the strength of our forefathers to be true to and faithful to Jesus Christ. For most of his retirement years, he was active with the Sons of the Utah Pioneers and Cache Valley Historical Society. 

Stan is survived by his wife of 56 years Karen Tanner Allen, children Merilee (Steven) Swain, Scott (Angela) Allen, Julie Connors, and Michael Allen, and grandchildren Christie, Jordan, Alex, Nathan Swain, Katy, Savannah, Bentley Allen, Claire, Stella, George Connors.

Also survived by sister Carol Ann Lemon (Al), sister-in-law Janet Allen and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents A. Douglas and Ruth Hanks Allen, older brother A. David Allen, baby brother Paul Charles Allen, and nephew Daniel Charles Lemon.

We love him, we will miss him, but we will try to honor his legacy by living our lives as he did his. 

In the last years when his illness was slowly taking away his memory and physical abilities, he still thanked his caregivers for even the simplest of gestures almost until the end of his life. It seemed to be an innate response. Likewise, the rest of the Allen Family would like to thank the Gables of North Logan and Aegis Hospice for their tireless service, love, support, and compassion.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 12:00 noon at the Logan East Stake Center, 1450 E. 1500 N, Logan, Utah. A viewing will be held on Friday, October 11, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Allen-Hall Mortuary (34 E. Center Street, Logan, Utah) and 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. preceding the funeral at the church.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Utah State University College of Veterinary Medicine. https://vetmed.usu.edu/give-back

Memories and condolences may be shared and expressed at www.allenmortuaries.com.