Viola J. Allan

Viola J. Allan (née Gunther) passed away peacefully and surrounded by the love of her family at her home at the Acacia Creek retirement community in Union City, CA on September 18, 2021. She was 89 years old.

Vi was born November 7, 1931, in Hepburn, Saskatchewan, Canada, the fifth of seven children and second daughter of David and Agatha Gunther. Hepburn, a railroad town of 800, was greatly impacted by both the great depression and a drought. When Vi was in fifth grade, the family moved to Saskatoon, a big city (est. pop. 42,000) by comparison. For still better opportunity, the family thereafter moved to Bakersfield, CA in 1947, where she attended East Bakersfield High and graduated in 1950.

Vi attended Simpson University, then located in Seattle, WA. After two years at Simpson, she returned to Bakersfield where she worked for Metropolitan Life for the next few years, thereafter completing her degree at Simpson. In 1955, Simpson University moved to San Francisco and changed its name to Simpson Bible College. When Vi learned that Simpson was looking for a bookkeeper she came to San Francisco and returned to Simpson, where she remained employed for the next twelve years, a time she described as a period of substantial learning and good years overall.

In 1969, she started a new bookkeeping job in San Francisco at Allan Automatic Sprinkler Corporation, working for Tom Allan and his sister, Annie Henry. “Little did I know that the handsome gray-haired gentleman who helped interview me would later become my husband.” On March 21, 1981, Tom and Vi were married, and shared a wonderful 27yrs together in Burlingame until his passing in 2008. They enjoyed extensive international and domestic travel, as well as weekends at their cabin in Santa Cruz nearby the San Lorenzo River. They were also avid fans of both Cal football and basketball. After Tom passed away, Vi moved from their home in Burlingame to Acacia Creek, the newly built retirement community on the campus of the Masonic Home in

Union City. She created and enjoyed a lovely home there, in which she proudly displayed the many mementos of their travels together. She especially liked the view of the South Bay and all of the twinkling lights at night. Aside from the interruptions caused by Covid-19, she enjoyed sharing dinner each night with her many lady friends around their customary round table in the dining room.

Vi will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate to have known her. She was a very kind and generous person, always willing to listen with an open ear. She found comfort in her deep faith, especially during the last months of her life while she was on hospice care.

Vi is survived by her two stepdaughters, Linda Weaver (Ron) and Jean Allan; three grandchildren, Elizabeth Clar, Allan Dyson (Shannon), and Natalie Allan Williamson; and three great-grandchildren, Liam, Cordelia and Oona Dyson. Vi is also survived by her sister, Eleanor Flanagan, and her brothers, Bob Gunther (Grace), Chet Gunther, and Vern Gunther, as well as many adoring nieces and nephews.

Vi’s family wants to acknowledge and thank the staff at Acacia Creek where she resided; Sutter Care at Home-Alameda (Hospice); Home Instead, the agency which coordinated her in-home care this year; and especially her primary caretakers who were so compassionate and committed to her in recent months: Dominica Cardenas, Pam Mosher, and Fariha Mahboob.

Respecting Vi’s wishes, a private burial will be held. Memorial donations may be made to Simpson University, now located in Redding, CA, or Sutter Care at HomeAlameda (Hospice).