November 30, 2020 at 10:34 a.m.
George C. Allen Jr.
George C. Allen Jr.
George was born in Miami, Fla. to Carol (Revist) Allen-Branback.
At the age of eight, his mother and her nine children traveled by train over 1,600 miles to Vulcan, Mich. to be closer to family.
In 1977 he graduated from Norway High School. Shortly after, in 1981, George moved to Rhinelander as his oldest daughter was born.
George was united in marriage on Aug. 3, 1991 in Rhinelander to Jan (Wilmot) Allen.
The couple have lived together in their dream home that George built for his family since 1997.
George started his career in Rhinelander working at City Lumber in 1981.
George continued his passion and started his own lumber company, DCI Building Center, Inc., which he owned for 15 years. Shortly after, George found his true love for cooking for others. He started cooking funeral luncheons for Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, which led to cooking during a summer at Camp Birchrock. George spent a few years cooking at Nicolet College and loved getting to know the students that came into the cafe. George also had recently started his own catering business, GFA Catering. Anyone who ever has had his cooking knew he was the absolute best chef around. He would spend hours in the kitchen fixing up a family feast for us or preparing cakes for special holidays.
Most recently, George was working at the operations manager for Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which allowed him to assist in the building process for families in our community.
He loved using his incredible talents to help others.
George was involved with many activities throughout his life. He enjoyed golfing with his buddies and doing research on any topic on his computer. He gave back to his community in many different ways. Those who knew him, knew that he would give the shirt off of his back for anyone.
When the homeless shelter was beginning in Rhinelander, George assisted in the remodeling and cooked meals for the guests staying there.
George loved to watch his daughters participate in sports and band. He would always be at every game, cheering from the sidelines, or cooking food for the team beforehand. He spent a short period of time coaching basketball and was the head varsity girls' gymnastics coach.
More than anything, he loved spending time with his girls. He was the goofiest guy in the world, always looking to get a laugh out of others. Even though he acted tough, his smile was contagious.
He will be dearly missed by his wife, Jan, three daughters; Melissa (Emil) Zalabak, Alexis Allen (Mike Zuiker), and Stephanie Allen (Bryant Smith) all of Rhinelander, as well as Erin (Justin) Karpf of Rhinelander and Vance Gilbert of Florida; his grandchildren; Skylar, Julie, Kaylee, Emma, Caiden, Keyan, Brayden, Cailyn, Gavin, Lincoln and Carter; his sisters Michele (Andy) Soto, Cheryl (John) Degenaer, Darlene (Doug) Sebright; his brothers, Thomas (Phyliss) Allen, Scott (Teresa) Allen, William Allen, Brandon (Michael) Allen, Paul (Kimberly) Allen, many nieces and nephews, other family and many friends, as well as daddy's boy, Duke (his golden retriever).
He held a special place in his heart for his wife's family.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Carol.
George's family would like to extend a huge thank you to the staff at Ascension for all of the care and comfort they provided during his stay.
The visitation for George will take place on Friday evening, Dec. 4, 2020 at the Hildebrand Funeral Home from 4 to 7 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, located at 125 E. King Street, with Fr. Chris Kemp officiating.
Immediately following the mass there will be a procession to Northland Memorial Park for the Committal Service.
For the safety of the family and the safety of the Rhinelander community we ask that you please use Davenport Street as the entrance to the funeral home.
When you arrive at the funeral home, your hands will be sanitized, and masks and social distancing will be required. We ask that you patiently wait in line to pay your respects and then exit through the doors on Pelham Street.
Upon arriving at the church Saturday morning, hands will be sanitized and masks and social distancing will be required. Please enter the church and please be seated immediately.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hildebrand Funeral Home & Cremation Specialists, 24 E. Davenport Street, Rhinelander, Wisconsin 54501, 715-365-4343.
Everyone is invited to sign the guestbook or leave an online condolence at www.hildebrandrussfh.com.
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