After a career that included the U.S. Army and 30 years with IBM, Jack Allen had a busy retirement in Bella Vista. When he died Friday morning, he was doing something he loved.
Allen was a member of the Bella Vista Bicycle Club for 20 years including a few years as president, his wife, Shirley Allen confirmed.
"He loved riding bikes," she said.
On Friday, he was riding his bike on McNelly Road when he collided with a truck and was killed. The wreck was investigated by the Benton County Sheriff's Office. A report was not available Monday.
His friend, George Heist has some unanswered questions about the accident, partly because Allen was such an experienced bike rider.
"He rode all over the country," he said. "I rode with him for 16 years. He was a dependable guy."
Heist said Allen used to organize the groups week-long bicycle rides, researching routes and booking lodging. They rode the Katy Trail in Missouri, The Natchez Trace Trail In Tennessee and in events including the Pugsley Invitational in Iowa.
Allen worked with the Bella Vista Property Owners Association's Joint Advisory Committee on Recreation to develop the first Master Trail Plan. More recently he served on the POA's Election Committee.
"This is a loss for the community," POA General Manager Tom Judson said. "He was a very nice gentleman and a valuable member of our elections committee."
He volunteered with the AARP, teaching the safe driving class four times a year for people over age 50.
For the last year and a half, he volunteered at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
He was an active member of the Community Church, serving on various boards and delivering Meals on Wheels.
"He was a soft-spoken man but had a real faith in Jesus Christ," Pastor Jeff Reed remembered. "The genuineness of his faith was evident by the fruit of the Spirit that he possessed: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He also had the gift of encouragement. I was blessed to be a frequent recipient of that gift."
Xyta Lucas of the Bella Vista Historical Society, met Allen when he was cleaning up Summit Cemetery near Metfield. He had organized a group of neighbors to keep the old cemetery mowed. When other members of the group moved away, he did all the work himself until Lucas recruited the city Street Department and the Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group.
"Occasionally Jack would email me to say the cemetery property needed another mowing, and I'd follow up," Lucas said. "He will be missed."
Last summer, Shirley and Jack Allen celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with George and Glenda Heist, who share the same anniversary date, but were married 10 years later.
His obituary is on Page 4A of today's Weekly Vista.
General News on 08/24/2016