Thomas Allen

Tom was born in New York City on February 5, 1938. His father, Thomas W. Allen, immigrated to the United States from Southampton, England and settled in the Bronx, NY, marrying Anne Quinn in 19___. Tom was their only child. Educated at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx, Tom enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served from 1958-1960, after which he returned to New York and married his sweetheart, Eileen Clarke, who died in 2005.

Tom truly embraced life and lived it to the fullest with faith, hope and joy. He worked in Manhattan for 50 years, riding the bus to Port Authority early each morning and leveraging his dynamic personality to earn multiple “Salesman of the Year” honors for employers Bussman Press, Lewis Business Forms, Bancroft Business Forms and Allied-Egry Business Systems. Responding to the changes that computers brought to the paper and business forms trade, he switched industries and joined Arrow Recycling Co. in 1996, where he worked opening new accounts until his retirement in 2012.

Tom loved attending morning Mass and walking from account to account on the streets of his beloved New York, a routine that enabled him to provide a nice life for his family, educate his four children at private Catholic colleges—including the University of Notre Dame (2), St. John Fisher College and Iona College—and retire many a good bartender.

A dedicated family man, Tom spent decades attending the sporting events, performances, baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, graduations, birthday parties, and other life events of his children, grandchildren and extended family members, telling his jokes and spreading his infectious good cheer with stories and song. After the death of Eileen after 45 years of marriage, Tom carried on, maintaining his cheerful nature and remaining focused on his family, movies, Notre Dame football, and Mets baseball.

He is survived by his four children: Barbara Ender of Glen Rock, NJ (Bob); Tom Allen III of Fallbrook CA (Sue); John Allen of Westport, CT (Ursula); Pat Allen of Harriman, NY (Elevena); and twelve grandchildren: Brian Ender, Colleen Ender, Elizabeth Ender, Tommy Allen IV, Max Allen, Angie Allen, Gracie Allen, Gerard Allen, Isabel Allen, August Allen, Pattie Allen and Liam Allen.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated by Tom’s favorite priest, Fr. Bill Cosgrove, at 11:00 am Monday, May 21, 2018 at St. Augustine Church, New City. Burial will follow at St. Anthony Cemetery, Nanuet, NY at a later date. The family will receive friends on Sunday, May 20, 2018 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm at Michael J. Higgins Funeral Home at 321 South Main Street in New City.