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James Harold Allen
January 12 , 1949 - January 22 , 2022
VISITATIONS:
SERVICES:
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Condolences
- We just heard of Dr Allen's passing and are very saddened. We were patients of his for 38 years and loved him. RIP our friend in the Lord's loving arms. ❤ Fredrick D Wright
- Thanks for being my big brother Jim. Thanks for always being there for me. I will love you forever and miss you until my last breath. Mark Allen
- James H. Allen - Eulogy – January 28, 2022 I’m John Allen and on behalf of the family I want to thank each of you for joining us this morning to honor Jim. Saying goodbye to a loved one is the most difficult challenge we face in life and in Jim's case it's particularly painful. That's because Jim was one hell of a good person. Jim was the eldest of Jack and Gen's three boys who grew up in Allen Park, that nice, low-profile city with the big tire that's next to Dearborn. I always appreciated Jim being 2 1/2 years older than me as the eldest child has to endure being a kind of "guinea pig" for new parents making it easier for Mark and me. As a family we traveled all over the US and made annual trips to Kingston, NY to see mom's relatives. With the three of us sitting in the back seat of the station wagon and Jim on occasion creating mischief it was always an interesting journey. As a youngster Jim had many interests including of all things building smoke bombs. I recall our father helping Jim build these things because he was concerned that if he wasn't involved one of them might set the garage on fire. Thankfully this endeavor was short-lived but it was an early indication of Jim's ingenuity and creativity that he displayed throughout his entire life. After graduating from Allen Park High (Go Jaguars) Jim was off to Oakland University which was a relatively new school with about 5,000 students vs the 20,000 today. One of Jim's friends at Oakland was Dan Banks who remained a close friend throughout his life. Dan lives out of town and regrets not being able to join us today. After graduating from Oakland, Jim enrolled at the University of Detroit Dental School from which he graduated in 1974. Dental School was a challenging and interesting experience and living in Detroit on Van Dyke Place, with a number of other crazy dental students who became lifelong friends, only added to Jim's "education". Among other things these enterprising future dentists had cars stolen, grew 8-foot tall marijuana plants in a closet and on occasion hung out with the soul group the Spinners of "I'll Be Around" and "Could it Be I'm Falling in Love" fame. Jim began his 47-year career as a dentist first working in the Downriver offices of other dentists, where he met his future wife Geri, and then establishing his own practice in Troy. Dentistry is a very challenging profession. Working in such a confining area on people who would rather be anywhere than in a dental chair is not my idea of fun. Let's be honest does anyone really enjoy going to the dentist? But Jim was different. He was an excellent and technically proficient dentist who never compromised ethical standards, placing the well-being of his patients above all else. Jim's patients knew and trusted that he would only do what was necessary and always in their best interest. Jim went to great lengths to put patients at ease knowing that the high-pitched whir of his drill was never pleasant and only added to their stress. One of Jim's long-time patients once told me that Jim would always reduce the patient's anxiety by telling them in advance of any pain or discomfort they might experience. But Jim did a lot of work on me and I never seemed to experience any discomfort - the "painless" dentist as mom described him. His sense of humor also served to reduce patient stress. Jim's patients and office colleagues were his extended family and their life experiences were an important component of his and Geri's lives. Jim and Geri sold the Troy practice to Dr. Jim Madany a year ago and continued to work in the Madany Dental Office in Troy until December 2021. While Jim and Geri never got to enjoy their well-deserved retirement Jim spent his last days on earth doing what he had done so well for 47 years - serving and caring for his patients. Among other things, Jim loved all kinds of cars and trucks, middle eastern food, riding his bike in the beautiful park next to his home in Rochester and traveling. He and Geri made countless trips to California, Florida, Europe and Dubai. Jim loved exploring new places but the thing he cherished most was befriending the people he met along the way including a close friend of mine in San Diego who was also a dentist. Jim and Geri attended Christ Our Light for a number of years and loved the parish and had many friends here that were also an important part of their extended family. Thank you Fr. Demmer, and Fr. Sinatra, who was unable to join us today, for being Jim's friends. Jim was a special person who was kind, gentle, loving, humble to his core and unwavering in his dedication to others. But perhaps his most enduring quality was his positive and engaging demeanor that always served to put others at ease. Jim's nephew David Allen told me on Saturday that until he was 12 he and his sister Maddie thought I was older than Jim. As David explained, Uncle Jim always seemed to be playing with gadgets (he loved all kinds of lights), joking and having fun with people and that made him seem younger than his years. Well said David and Maddie. While Jim turned 73 two weeks ago he always seemed like a "big kid" who loved being with people of all ages and backgrounds. His positive and youthful attitude is something we should all try to emulate. In closing, thank you Jim for being a wonderful friend to all of us who had the privilege to know and love you. While you left us far too soon, your time on earth has enriched all of us who were blessed to spend time with you. John Allen
