Robert Moffat Allan, Jr.

Robert M. “Bob” Allan was born in Detroit, Michigan on December 8, 1920 and departed this life the way he lived it, with grace, dignity, and humor on September 11, 2009. He was 88 years old and passed at home in Capitola, California, with family at his side.

Bob lived in San Marino and Newport Beach, California, later moving to Carmel for many years. He married the love of his life, Harriet “Spice” Spicer while they both attended Stanford prior to WWII. It was a love affair that lasted a lifetime: 66 years.

Bob graduated from Stanford in 1942, serving in the Air Force at the Pentagon as attache and weather adviser to General George C. Marshall. He assisted with predicting weather prior to the D-Day Invasion. After moving his growing family to Los Angeles in 1946, Bob Allan became an increasingly sought after business leader, and served as Executive Vice-President of Times-Mirror Corp., President of Cypress Mines Corp., and Litton International.

But his passion lay in sailing, and in 1949 as crewmember aboard the 98 foot schooner MORNING STAR, Bob Allan’s weather forecasting guided MORNING STAR in breaking the Transpacific Yacht Race sailing record from Los Angeles to Honolulu. He skippered and won many local and off-shore races near Los Angeles and Monterey. His involvement in sailing was such that he gave back to the sport a legacy that will last for generations. For many years, Bob Allan chronicled West Coast sailing for Sea and Yachting Magazines. West Coast collegiate sailing programs also received multiple donations of 30 foot Shield class sloops through Bob Allan, and he has been honored by the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) for his lifetime achievement. He remained a longtime mentor to West Coast collegiate sailing and helped found city and naval recreational sailing programs.

Bob Allan was Senior Staff Commodore of Newport Harbor Yacht Club, a founder of the U.S. Naval Academy Sailing Advisory Board (Fales Committee), and lecturer at the Naval Post Graduate School. He loved golf, history, advising young people, family gatherings, and telling stories. His gentle, wise, and observant counsel will be missed by all who knew him.

Bob is survived by his wife Harriet, four children: Skip Allan of Capitola, Scott Allan of Annapolis, Maryland, David Allan of Carmel, and Marilee Allan of Berkeley, California; six grandchildren (Scott Jr., Christiane, and Robin Rose Allan; Jeremy, Molly, and Susannah Ashkenas), and three great grandchildren (Piper and Pearce Fabrizio, and Stewart Allan).

A memorial gathering for family and friends will be later this fall in Capitola.