Loyd Reece (Rusty) Allen Jr died quietly on October 13, in the arms of his beloved wife Mary Jo, after a long battle with pancreatic and colo-rectal cancer. Rusty was a tough son of a bitch and he fought valiantly against the disease until the bitter end, always wanting to stay at the party just a little bit longer. He was a larger-than-life guy, with a larger-than-life story – people who met him never forgot him.

Rusty was an accomplished sailor, having taught himself to sail after reading a book. He won many races in California, at Lake Lanier in Georgia, in Mexico, and in the Tampa Bay area in Florida. Those races that he didn’t win, he always won the party. Rusty was revered and loved in the sailing communities where he spent a great deal of time. His name is etched on several trophies in the Lake Lanier Sailing Club, and a great deal more trophies will now be in the care of his family. Over the years, he amassed a collection of “crew” – men and women who followed every command he barked on races to far-flung places including Key West, Florida; Chesapeake Bay, Virginia; Ensenada, Mexico; among others. The crew was like family to Rusty, and they were constantly on his mind in his final days. 

For over 25 years, Rusty worked for IBM, moving around to several different locations before settling in the Atlanta, Georgia area. He lived with his family in Georgia for over two decades and constantly complained about the traffic and the cold. In their Marietta home, he spearheaded numerous home improvement projects using his children for free manual labor – they assisted with roofing, foundation, carpentry, and yard work. Once his children had moved out of the house, he and his wife relocated to Florida, where he was finally warm. They lived for more than 20 years in the Sunshine State, in the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area. Later, they lived in an RV and traveled throughout the Eastern US.

When his children got married, he pointed out to them that “marriage is a struggle.” However, in his own marriage, he was madly, deeply in love with his wife, Mary Jo Allen. Rusty had his wife jumping off of boats to the dock from 1978 until she nearly fell overboard on a cold fall afternoon in Florida. He sighed heavily and told his children to “help your mother.”

Never one to give up, following his terminal diagnosis with metastatic pancreatic cancer, he led his family on a cross country trip to one of his favorite places in the world – Yellowstone National Park – driving some 6000 miles through mountainous and windy terrain. He took great delight in introducing his grandchildren and sons-in-law to the vast and beautiful landscape of the first National Park, and regaled all with stories of his many visits throughout the years. When he stepped onto a boat on Lake Yellowstone, it was like he was 20 years younger and he had a wonderful time.

Rusty is survived by his loving wife, Mary Jo Allen, whom he has been driving around for the last 50 years. At last, Mary Jo will now have a cell phone plan with unlimited texting. He is also survived by his two daughters – Kelly Meadows and Robin Allen LaPlante – of whom he is exceptionally proud. He loved his three grandchildren: Asher, Mira, and Charley Lou, and enjoyed advising their parents that “children growing up doesn’t ever get easier, it just gets different.” He is also survived by his sister, Terri Hill of Colorado, and brother, Gary Allen of California, as well as his loyal companion, Leo – an Australian Shepherd mix, who will miss getting the last bites of ice cream from Rusty’s bowl. Additionally, he collected friends all over the country who remember him – most of them even remember him fondly!

A celebration of life will take place in March 2025 in St. Petersburg. Details to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad to help with the maintenance of the scenic railroad. (Ask Robin or Kelly about the time Dad brought the whole family on the railroad and made us get off at each and every stop.)

Want to leave a message? Visit the tribute page at South Care Cremation: https://southcare-16518.meaningfulfunerals.net/obituary/loyd-allen#obgbsct