Eleanor Burt Allen

Memorial services for Eleanor Burt Allen, 98, Lawrence will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at Plymouth Congregational Church in Lawrence. Private family burial will take place at a later date in Memorial Park Cemetery. Mrs. Allen died November 27th in Lawrence.

She was born June 5, 1915 in Boston, Massachusetts the daughter of Joseph E. and Wilhelmina (Hamilton) Burt.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Violin performance from Oberlin College in 1937. She earned her Master’s degree in Music Education in 1959 from the University of Kansas.

Mrs. Allen was a violin teacher and owned and operated Suzuki Talent Education Institute in Lawrence for over 40 years. She earned a lifetime achievement award from the Suzuki Association of the Americas in 2008.

She married Rev. Marion C. Allen on July 31, 1943 in Bristol, Connecticut. He preceded her in death on January 10, 1995. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, M. Louise Allen Hough in March, 2013.

Survivors include two sons, Burt M. Allen and wife Christine, Natchitoches, Louisiana, Robert W. Allen and wife Teresa, Scottsdale, Arizona (recently from Lawrence), a daughter, Marian C. Allen, Orland, Maine, a son in law Don Hough, Knoxville, Tennessee five grandchildren, Heather Descollonges, Jonas Allen, Nicole Allen Cook, Whitney Allen Giller, Kimberly Allen, two step grandchildren, Dylan Standish, Caitlin Standish, and five great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials in her name to the Lawrence Arts Center and may be sent in care of the Warren-McElwain Mortuary.

2 Condolences

  1. Martha Burczyk on December 2, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    My sympathies to the family at this time of sorrow. Eleanor had a long and rich life, traveling well into her 80s, often with her children and grandchildren. I remembered when we first met back in the 1970s. She reminded me of Kate Hepburn, elegant with her New England accent and fisherman’s sweater! I will always remember you and Sam with great fondness. Rest in peace.



  2. tom wilcox on December 3, 2013 at 1:17 pm

    Burt and family,

    It was so good to see you. I am sorry at your mother’s passing. It has been 3 and half years now since my mother passed away. I think there is nothing worse than losing your mother and father. I was also sorry to hear that Louise had died. I remember Louise and Bobby. I don’t know if my dad had a hand in their births or not (no pun intended). I should have made him make a list. ha. I didn’t click at first went Bobby said who he was, well, he left off the “by”. But I don’t use the “my” any more myself. I would love to hear from you when you are more settled. My sister is sorry she could not attend, she called me to make sure I was attending, which I planned to do already. The violins played beautifully. When I go to the Maple Leaf Festival, I look for Mrs. Lewis kids. I remember when Pat started taking lessons, violins did not always sound good. They left that out of the comments. Congratulations to us for pain and suffering those early lessons. Be well. Tom Wilcox. I hope my email address is on the information you receive about this. If not, Warren McElwain has my permission to release it to you. tom



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