Billy Don Allen, of La Pine, Oregon passed away peacefully Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at 11:43 p.m., with his loved ones by his side.

He was born in Princeton May 9, 1930, to Glenn and Madge Allen and was the eldest of six. He had one sister, Patricia, and four brothers, George, Larry, John and James.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and wife, Dorothy. Billy Don and Dorothy were married for 57 years before Dorothy passed in 2011. Billy will be laid to rest with her at Park Lawn Cemetery in Evansville. 

He leaves a loving daughter, Sandra LaVine of La Pine; grandchildren, Glenn LaVine and Megan (Wessell) Potgieter, both of North Dakota; grandson, Mike (Karen) Pautz; and great-granddaughter, Katarina all of Mt. Shasta, California; daughters, Janice Pautz and Kimberly Ferguson, both of La Pine; eight grandchildren, Megan, Glenn, Michael, Mark, Mitchel, Jesse, Celeste and Tiffany; five great-grandchildren, Katarina, Crystal, Ryan, Jennifer and Aaron; and one great, great-grandchild and wives (Dail and Melinda) of two grandsons (Mark Pautz of La Pine, and Mitch Pautz  from Texas) and Mike’s wife, Karen, of Mt. Shasta, California.

Billy joined the US Navy after high school in Haubstadt and was later a Korean War Veteran. Billy and Dorothy were married in 1953 and moved to International Falls, Minnesota, where he was a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Bureau. The family lived up and down the West Coast, including Hawaii, while in the NWSB. He retired in 1985 while living in San Diego, California. After retiring, BD & Dotty traveled to Alaska and throughout the United States before choosing La Pine as their retirement home. Billy was active with the La Pine senior center and delivered Meals on Wheels for them for over 20 years. He was an active member of the High Desert Treasure Club/HDTC Claim Association of Bend, Oregon, Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) and Lost Dutchman’s Mining Assn. Inc. (LDMA). He was a member and past deacon of the High Lakes Christian Church in La Pine, Oregon for over 20 years.

Billy will be missed and was loved by many for his kind ways and always being there to help others. He loved to be with his family, go on excursions to look for gold and use his metal detector to find buried treasures. He enjoyed the outdoors; camping, traveling, fishing and seeing his family succeed in life. He always had a “hello” and smile for everyone. He will be missed by all of us, and many others he met throughout the world during his travels and work.

Graveside memorial services with military rites will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2014, at Park Lawn Cemetery.  

The family would like to thank Baird Memorial Chapel in La Pine, Park Lawn Cemetery and Alexander East Chapel in Evansville for their help with arrangements for his final resting place, and Heart in Home Hospice of Bend & La Pine and Ashley Manor’s of Bend & Redmond for their care of our loved one. God bless us all during this time of sorrow and loss. Thanks for the memories DAD!