Douglas Speers Allen

Doug was the child of a military family, growing up in Portsmouth, VA and El Paso, TX. In the early 1980s, he was sent to Steamboat Springs, CO to engineer and build the town's first cable television system. In Steamboat, he found the place he would call home for the next 25 years and like most Steamboat locals, he worked at any job he could to be able to live there. He studied law enforcement at Colorado Mountain College and was certified as a Peace Office, and he also earned his certification as a Registered Medicolegal Death Investigator. He proudly served as the Routt County Coroner for several years, using his calm empathy and sharp investigative skills to help Routt County families in their time of need.

Doug loved rock climbing, photography and playing the guitar. He especially loved snowboarding with his son Sean, and claimed that the 3 most dangerous words on the mountain were “Follow me, Dad!” He volunteered many hours for Routt County Search and Rescue, leading the Ropes Team on technical rescues. He was one of the first snowboarders to work with Steamboat Ski Patrol, mainly helping young riders to understand mountain courtesy.

Doug met his future wife Terry Lyons who also volunteered for Search and Rescue, and they were married on the ski area in September 1996. Eventually wanderlust led them to leave Steamboat in 2003, and they spent the next 14 years traveling the country living full-time in their RV. They worked many fun seasonal jobs along the way but by far, the 4 summers they lived and worked at the Grand Canyon were the highlight. The road eventually took them to the Gulf Coast of Florida, where new roots were put down far from the long cold winters of Colorado.

Doug is survived by his wife Terry, his son Sean Allen and his grandson Jayce Allen of Alison Park, PA as well as one sister Karen Stovall of Huntersville, NC. The family is honoring his wish for no formal funeral service and will scatter his ashes at his beloved Steamboat Ski Area later this summer.