Allen Frank Packer was born May 14, 1932, to Fred Harry and Minnie Belle Packer on his grandparents’ farm in Union, Iowa, joining big brother Jim. He entered eternal rest on November 20, 2024, in Spring Texas.

When Allen was 11 months old, his father passed away. Allen and Jim were raised by their paternal grandparents, Frank and Agnes Packer. Allen enjoyed life on the farm with his many aunts/uncles and cousins. He made friends with many animals, a love he carried his entire life.

Allen always had wanderlust in his soul, while still in high school, Allen would hitchhike to Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming to work on any farm/ranch that would hire him, work he loved.

Allen joined the United States Air Force in 1950, his first base was Ellsworth Air Base in South Dakota. He spent time at San Antonio Texas, Moses Lake and Tacoma Washington, Anchorage Alaska, Oklahoma City and Altus Oklahoma and many flights around the world. Allen served several tours during the Korean war and Vietnam war as a flight engineer.

In 1955 while stationed in Washington, Allen gave Verna Dutton of Marshalltown, Iowa an engagement ring with a note that said, “if you put this on you will have to put up with me for the next 60 years”. They were married June 24, 1955, in Moses Lake Washington. Five daughters completed their family. Verna stayed by Allen’s side for the next 59 years until she passed away on March 26, 2014, in Arlington Washington.

Allen’s wanderlust continued his entire life as he moved his family to where the Air Force sent them. He was a skilled mechanic and loved working on racing cars (even driving a few) and any vehicle that needed his touch, always making sure each car his daughter’s drove was in tip top shape.

He retired from the Air Force in 1972, taking his family back to Marshalltown Iowa where they lived for 6 years before taking Verna and the 2 youngest daughters to Marysville Washington, Midland South Dakota, then Arlington Washington where he worked for King County as mechanic on Seattle city buses, fully retiring in 1992. In April 2020 Allen moved to Spring Texas to live with his daughter and son-in-law Sharon and Henry Ballard.

Allen enjoyed traveling, always driving across the country, often taking back roads that looked interesting and discovering new sites. Allen loved animals and made sure his daughters grew up with many dogs, horses and cats. While living in Spring, he loved spending his days on the lanai watching his great grandsons playing with the dogs, horses, goats, and chickens.

Allen is survived by his 5 daughters, Debra (Vernon) Brownfield of Hershey Nebraska, Sharon (Henry) Ballard of Spring Texas, Sandy (Melvin) Costa of Marysville Washington, Laura (Terry) Nemec of Sioux Falls South Dakota, Barbara (Frank) Blake of Englewood Florida; 9 grandchildren, Lindsay Brownfield, Melissa (Scott) Radke, Crystal (Ryan) Polly, Cody (Jessica) Ballard, Tonia Kapayou Soren, Melvin (Brooke) Costa, Jennifer Nemec, Jackie (Phillip) Kuehl, Shawn (Sarah) Blake; 19 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandson; 1 brother in law and numerous nieces and nephews.

Greeting Allen in heaven is his beloved wife Verna, grandson Marques Kapayou, parents, grandparents, 3 brothers, 1 sister, and many extended family and friends.