Donald J. Allen, 81, of Princeton, New Jersey died at home on September 9, 2017 after a lengthy illness.
Donald was born in Grahamstown, South Africa in 1936. After graduating from Rhodes University in 1959, he came to the United States to pursue graduate studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he received a Ph.D in pharmaceutical chemistry in 1965. Donald met Brenda Ayres in South Africa in 1960, and they married in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1962.
Donald spent his entire working career at Merck & Co., Inc. After working for several years as a research chemist in West Point, Pennsylvania, he moved into corporate management. His assignments took him to South Africa, Venezuela, Switzerland, and France. Donald retired from Merck in 1992.
In his retirement Donald enjoyed restoring old Land Rovers. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Brenda Ayres Allen, his children David Allen, Jennifer Miller, and Henry Allen, and his grandchildren Melanie, Oliver, William, Grace, and DJ. Donald is remembered as a devoted husband, a wise and fair father, and a loving grandfather. Funeral services will be private.
