Robert Allen Obituary

Robert Carter Allen MELBOURNE, FL - Robert Carter Allen, PhD, of Melbourne, Florida, passed away on December 22, 2022. Bob was born February 5, 1930, in Natick, Massachusetts, to Roy Henry Allen and Helen Louise Allen. He spent his early years in Natick and then his family moved to Burlington, Vermont. He was a graduate of Burlington High School, after which he earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College. Always the scientist, Bob earned a PhD in Bacteriology at Virginia Polytechnic University in 1959. He then was invited to the Jackson Laboratory Research Institute at Bar Harbor, Maine, for a post-doctoral fellowship. Bob was then a research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory until February 1973 when the family, wife, Carol, and sons, Robert and Roger, moved to South Carolina where Bob was a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine until his retirement in 1997. Invited as guest professor at Heidburg University, the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany, the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Washington DC and various scientific places throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, the Allen family enjoyed traveling with Professor Allen! Robert Carter Allen, PhD was one of the founders of the Electrophoresis Society of the United States. He was the inventor of the Electrophoresis Apparatus. One of his colleagues, the esteemed Dr. Andreas Chrambach, Late of the National Institute of Health, wrote of Bob: "his original ideas, his encyclopedic knowledge and his passionate interest in all matters relating to our common areas of interest." Bob Allen was a gentle and humble soul. He was a husband, father, grandfather and was loved by all who knew him. He brought up his sons to be like him, and mostly succeeded. He leaves a legacy that few achieve. He never sought fame or fortune; instead, he was a dedicated scientist who achieved the highest accolades and contributed significantly to his field of science. He is sorely missed by his family. Bob is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Carol, and his son, Robert Jr. Bob's son, Roger, predeceased him in 2015. Bob is also survived by his three grandchildren he loved and adored: Dexter, Kali and Annemarie. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston