Ami "Jack" Frost Allen died peacefully at his Batavia home at sundown on Wednesday, April 4, 2007, twelve days after his 93rd birthday. Ami F. "Jack" Allen was born in Lansing, Michigan, on March 23, 1914, to Amariah and Esther (Davis) Allen. He was the oldest of five boys. He spent his boyhood in rural Iowa, then moved to Chicago when he was twelve. After graduation from Morgan Park High School, he attended the University of Chicago where he received a law degree, and subsequently became a member of the Chicago Bar Association. In 1940 he married Nancy Brandon, a Vassar graduate and Batavia native. They had six sons born between 1942 and 1958. After working several years in the Trust Department at Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago, he joined the Chicago law firm Bell, Boyd & Marshall. He served as an officer with the United States Army Air Corp during World War II. In 1948 he joined his father at A.L. Allen & Sons, a real-estate brokerage in the Fox Valley, eventually becoming a senior partner with his two brothers, Tom and Doug, and later with his son Mark. He retired after almost fifty years with the firm. His wife Nancy survives. She is 87 years old. They enjoyed nearly 67 years of marriage. In addition to raising a large family, Jack was also an active and progressive community member and businessman. He was a forceful proponent of fair housing in the 1960's. Major influences on his life included his wife's paralysis in 1958, raising six boys, his parents, travel, education, and reading. Their house and hearts was always open to foreign visitors and political refugees. He was a former member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Playmakers, the Chicago Bar Association, the Fox Valley Board of Realtors, the Society of Cincinnati and Calvary Episcopal Church in Batavia. Jack is also survived by his six sons and daughters-in-law, Jonathon (Jont) and Sheau Feng (Pat), Mahomet, IL, Peter and Sarah (Sally), Ann Arbor, MI, Mark and Terry, Batavia, Davis and Penny, St. Louis, MO, Rodney and Maureen, St. Charles, IL, Lane and Rebecca (Becky), Batavia; 17 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Thomas (Santa Fe, NM) and Douglas (France); and many nephews and nieces; and two "adopted" sons, Thom van Pham and Ma De. He was preceded in death by two other brothers, Davis and Richard; and one grandchild, (Samuel). The family is especially grateful to Virginija Lekaviciene, Crystal Grimes and Lucy Placnczynska, for their devoted care during his last days. Visitation will be Monday, April 9, from 4:00 P.M. 8:00 P.M. at Moss Funeral Home, 209 S. Batavia Avenue in Batavia. A memorial service will be held 10:00 A.M. Tuesday April 10, 2007 at Calvary Episcopal Church in Batavia. Arrangements are being made through the Moss Family Funeral Home in Batavia 630-879-7900. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be directed to Batavia Public Library and Calvary Episcopal Church in Batavia. "Count your blessings.""Love and education are the two most important things in life."- Jack Allen

[Published in The Beacon News (Aurora, IL), Friday, April 6, 2007]