Sept. 22, 1923 - Oct. 20, 2008SOUTH BEND - Robert R Allen, 85, passed away in Our Lady of Peace Hospital on Monday, Oct. 20th, 2008, after a lengthy battle with illness. His loving wife and family surrounded him. Robert was born on September 22, 1923, in Richmond, Indiana, the son of Rufus and Rema Allen. He graduated from Earlham College, and then completed dental school at Indiana University. He received his earliest training in dental surgery at the Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Following his residency at the Mayo Clinic from 1948-1951, Robert and his wife Dorothy settled in South Bend where he practiced oral surgery for 41 years on East LaSalle Street. He maintained a busy private practice while serving the city's two biggest hospitals, and was often on emergency call at the hospitals for jaw and other oral injuries. Dr. Allen's oral surgery practice reflected his Quaker upbringing of being of service to others. If there was a patient in need, he always found a way of helping, often treating patients without payment. By the time of Dr. Allen's retirement in 1995, it was estimated that he had seen over 250,000 patients from the Michiana area. When not in the office or hospital, Dr. Allen remained active in other pursuits. In the early 1960s, he designed and implemented several self-service Laundromats and car washes, which were innovative at the time. He simultaneously developed 10 acres of property on the south side of the city, bringing new businesses to the area adjacent to the Scottsdale Mall. An undefeated state champion in the pole vault at Earlham College, Robert enjoyed competitive athletics. For more than two decades, he coached the youth basketball team at the South Bend YMCA. Robert was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in 1993. Following his retirement, he taught part-time at IUSB until suffering a severe stroke in 2001. His parents, his first wife Dorothy, and his three sisters, Elizabeth, Ruth and Eleanor, preceded him in death. His five children, William Allen, Elizabeth Spiek, Barbara Granneman, James Allen and Ann-Marie Symonds, and 11 grandchildren survive him. He is also survived by his wife, Brenda Burns Allen, her children, Dawn Burns, Scott Burns, and Jill Livingston, and five additional grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Bubb Funeral Chapel, 3910 N. Main St., Mishawaka, Indiana. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today, Oct. 22, 2008. The funeral will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008. Memorial contributions may be made to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America and to the American Cancer Society.