Allen Robert Church, 82, of Channahon Illinois passed away on August 8th at his home in Channahon. He was born on December 31, 1943, in Humboldt, Nebraska, the son of the late Earl E. and R. Edna Church (nee Gore). He was the last survivor of three children being predeceased by his brother Don Church and his sister Leota Mayer (nee Church).

Allen attended Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California and received his BS and MS in organic chemistry from California State University, Fresno. After a short time working for the Upjohn pharmaceutical company in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he began his food chemistry career at the Oberti Olive company in Madera California where he patented an important process for making pimento ribbons to be stuffed into the olives. He later began a career in enology at the Christian Brothers Winery in the Central Valley of California and then moved on to work in quality control for the Diageo beverage company first in Hartford, Connecticut and then Plainfield, Illinois. He retired in 2006 but retained a lifetime membership in The American Chemical Society and continued to enjoy hosting wine tastings for friends and family for many years.
Allen loved a good glass of wine, often bringing scrumptious BV Georges de Latour or Tapestry bottles to share around the Christmas dinner table at his daughter's home. He also loved travelling. He took many trips with his whole family around holidays or summer vacations (Chile, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, and Canada). For many years, the family tradition was to all meet in Canada for Thanksgiving because his grandchildren both hated turkey and ham and the Canadian restaurants were all open on Thanksgiving. With the advent of the COVID pandemic, this changed to meeting in Chicago and visiting one of the excellent Chinese restaurants that stayed open on the Holiday. He also loved joyfully traveling with his beloved partner in adventures, Debra. Whether it was a side trip to Argentina, a road trip through the maritime provinces of Canada, a train trip across the continent, or a cruise around the world, Allen treasured their travels. He found endless enjoyment spending time with Debra, his family, and his friends wherever they might be able to share an adventure, a meal, or a good glass of wine.

After retiring, Allen and his wife Debra split their time between their two homes, one in Channahon Illinois and the other in Clovis California. They were blessed to find deep and lasting friendships in both places. He was a beloved member of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet and an affiliated member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno. He and his wife Debra worked tirelessly over many years for Citizens' Climate Lobby to try to leave a healthier planet for his grandchildren's generation and beyond. Allen was an extremely kind person who always showed up to visit with an ailing friend, parent or sibling. Whether he was helping his daughter secure arrangements after her mother's passing or hiking his grandchildren through his favorite spots in the Sierra Nevadas to help them channel their grief, he was always there when his family needed him. He also had a great sense of humor and fun. When he was put in charge of his grandchildren, they always came home laughing and muddy. He loved to laugh and smile, and he could cheer a room simply by the presence of his smiling eyes. He will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to know him.

Allen is survived by his beloved wife Debra Westhaver-Church, his daughter Barbara Ann Church, and his grandchildren, Ian Christopher Smith, and Keira Jacquelyn Smith. He is also survived by five nephews, David Church, Andrew Church, Thomas Church, Kyle Mayer, and Gregory Mayer.

Memorial celebrations will be held later, after an appropriate family grieving period, in both Illinois and California to give his friends and family in both places a chance to celebrate his wonderful life. Specific dates to be determined.

Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be directed to Citizens' Climate Education at PO Box 181020, Coronado, CA 92178 or your local PBS or NPR station in memory of Allen R. Church.

Cremation rights are under the personal care of Dunn Family Funeral Home with Crematory 1801 S. Douglas Road Oswego, IL 60543. For additional information please visit the memorial page or call 630/554-3888.