Liesa Allen
Old Lyme — Liesa Bing Allen, born in Fueth, Germany on July 25, 1930, died on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, in Essex, where she moved with her husband, Milton N. Allen, in 2016. She and Milt formerly resided in Old Lyme since 1988.
Liesa’s career included deputy clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals, second circuit, in New York City; director of marketing services for Manufacturing Decision Support Systems, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio: London Records, in New York City; and vice president and general counsel, The Diebold Group, Inc., an international management consulting firm, specializing in information technology, and headquartered in New York City. After retiring, she was a volunteer for the New London office of Connecticut Legal Services, serving in the area of family law from 1992 to 2004.
Liesa received her law degree from New York University School of Law, attended Columbia University for graduate work toward a master’s degree in English, and received her bachelor’s degree cum laude from City College of New York. She was admitted to practice law in the state of New York in 1965.
She and her parents arrived in the U.S. after fleeing Nazi Germany in 1938. Lieselotte Bing was sent to live with relatives in Lexington, Ky. She rejoined her parents in New York City in 1944 and attended George Washington High School, college, graduate school, and law school; she later lived in Indiana and Georgia, where her first husband was stationed, after he was drafted to serve in the Korean War. She married Milton Allen in 1982 and they lived in Cleveland, Ohio before moving to Old Lyme.
Liesa’s life was committed to her work, friends and family. She attributed her successes in her life to the free education she received in the U.S. school system and the City College of New York. She appreciated the law education New York University gave her and tried to help others receive similar benefits.
Her interest in opera started as a teenager in New York City and was fueled by her work with London Records (Decca of England). Her familiarity with information technology, its potential and significance in public policy and business, came from her work with John Diebold, his firm and The Diebold Institute for Public Policy Studies, continuing until his death in 2005.
She wrote and published “The Story of Day-Glo – Switzer Magic” in 1991, and co-authored with Ralph E. Weindling “Agent of Change – Forty Years of the Diebold Group,” published by The Diebold Institute in 2001.
Liesa Allen served on the Board of Old Lyme Day Care, now the Children’s Learning Center, from 1995 to 2001.
She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Milt; and his three children, Peter Allen of Palo Alto, Calif. and his children, Alexandra of San Mateo, Calif. and Jonathan of Lincoln, Calif; Tom Allen of New York City and his children, Olivia, attending Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. and George of New York City; and Jane Allen of Sydney, Australia and her daughter, Eloise Bowton, also of Sydney, Australia. She also leaves behind a legacy of well-educated young people, a testament to her belief in the importance of education, and many whose hearts she touched with her kindness and encouragement.
A memorial service in celebration of a life well lived and loved is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 23, 2017, at Essex Meadows, 30 Bokum Road, Essex.
Contributions in memory of Liesa Bing Allen to the charity of your choice are suggested.