Pat was born on April 8, 1930 in Buffalo, NY, the first of two children of Fred and Iris Scanlan. Because her father was career Navy, she lived in many different places while growing up, including three years in Puerto Rico. She graduated high school in Bladensburg, MD in 1946 and began her college studies at San Diego State College that fall. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 1950 with an English major and minors in History and Education, where she was named, “Outstanding Woman Graduate of College of Education”. She was also a member of the honorary journalism society, Pi Delta Epsilon.
Pat went on to earn an MA at American University in Washington, DC and took a job as assistant producer of news and public affairs at CBS Radio. After this she traveled to Europe where she worked as an educator in France and England. She returned to the United States in 1957 and married Robert Aller in NYC. Pat taught at schools in the metro New York area. She also did freelance editing for the publishing companies of Macmillan and Random House. She returned to journalism full-time as an assistant director at the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation in 1980, where she remained until retiring in 1992. Pat then worked as an NGO representative to the United Nations for the International Union for Land Value Tax and Free Trade until her final retirement in 2002.
Pat was a pillar of the Georgist movement. Many will remember her, above all, for her generosity in providing free accommodations at “Hotel Aller,” floor space in a studio apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She once housed 8 or 9 people there, some on the balcony, for the night. Pat’s guests were from all over the world, and she corresponded with many for years, often based on a single visit.
Pat became a regular attendee at the annual meeting of the Council of Georgist Organizations and the less frequent gatherings of the International Union for Land Value Taxation (IU-LVT). She served on the RSF board from 1994 to 1999 and 2003 to 2006. She was active in the Common Ground and other Georgist organizations.
Pat was an avid traveler, including a round -the-world trip on a freighter in retirement. Another of her more unusual trips was a tour of the canals of France. She was able to remain active for so many years because she took walks in Manhattan of at least 2 miles a day, sometimes as many as 10 miles, 3 or 4 times a week.
Pat was a great admirer of the United Nations. She worked tirelessly for years to gain official status with the UN of the IU-LVT, which she finally achieved. There were numerous non-Georgist organizations affiliated with the UN in which Pat was also an active participant, including ones devoted to women’s rights and social development.
In the arts, Pat placed only opera above great literature. She was an excellent writer herself. It is unfortunate that she never published one of her short stories, which showed a great appreciation of the craft. Because she lived only a few blocks from Lincoln Center, she frequently attended concerts and opera while continuing to pursue her love of literature. On a trip to Washington DC via Amtrak she met a retired and widowed musician, Irwin Schorr, in 2013 and they soon became companions for life.
Pat was loyal to every friend who came into her life, going the extra mile for them, more often than not. Even in her late 80’s, Pat was still making long trips, by subway and on foot to visit old friends in retirement or care facilities. It never occurred to her that she might cut back on those visits. They were just part of what Pat thought needed to be done, so she made the effort.
Pat Aller is survived by her son, Timothy Aller and his wife Claudia, in Hilton Head, SC; her two grandchildren, Claire Hagan and her husband Sean in Charlotte, NC, her grandson Zachary Aller, U.S. Coast Guard, Selfridge Air Station, Michigan; and her brother Tom Scanlan in San Diego, CA. She was predeceased by her ex-husband Robert Aller in 1991, and her final life companion, Irwin Schorr, just a few days before her own death in the same hospital.
Pat will be remembered in different ways by people from the varied aspects of her life, but she will be remembered by all for her poise, calm temperament, cheerful elan, and warm heart. A memorial event to celebrate her life will be planned for the fall.
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