It is with warm hearts and loving memories we honor the life of Allen Arthur Albach. Dad was born September 20, 1934, in Chicago, IL, and passed away peacefully on February 26, 2026. He was a beacon of light, love, and joy, embodying the qualities of service, friendship, and dedication to his family and his wife of 66 years.
In his early years, he learned to fix and repair anything that crossed his path. As a boy, Dad wore a path through the orchard between his house and the next door neighbor, who was an engineer and could answer all his questions on how to mend anything from a washing machine motor to car engines. He brought to life his first motor at the young age of 4! His love for anything mechanical shaped his life and his character. His love of knowledge, avid curiosity, and ability to learn in different ways, all worked in building Allen into a brilliant and gifted mechanic. He was known for his honesty, work ethic and integrity which opened numerous doors throughout his life.
He met Marilyn Sanders in his home town of Watsonville, California. Marilyn was born and raised in Byron, Wyoming, and had recently moved to California to work in a local dress shop. She made an immediate impression on her future mother-in-law and, consequently, on Allen when they first met at church. They were eventually married on June 15, 1955 in the Idaho Falls, Idaho Temple. They shared many challenges as a young couple but the biggest was losing their first two children. One due to complications of pregnancy (Aaron) and the other to leukemia (Bruce Allen). While devastated, they never lost faith or hope in Heavenly Father’s plan. Their dedication to the Lord and to each other for 66 years was a hallmark to their children and grandchildren of the covenants they made in the House of the Lord. Dad missed Mom terribly the last 4 1/2 years and looked forward to their reunion.
Dad was very proud to have served in the United States Navy Reserve for 5 years. He trained on the Destroyer Escort, USS George A. Johnson, and was appropriately assigned to the Seabees and rose to the rank of Seaman First Class.
Dad was a dedicated employee at Brigham Young University for 35 years, where he served as the supervisor for Fleet Services for many years before retiring. His dedication extended into his personal life as well, particularly in his hobbies. He was a skilled downhill skier and water-skier, a talented leather worker, model builder, welder, and wood carver. Dad was always sharing his talents with his reliable hands and patient demeanor. His adventurous spirit came through in his love for exploring the great outdoors and creating beautiful pieces of art from raw materials. He was a man always improving himself through service to others.
Dad’s faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ was unwavering. He served in numerous capacities throughout his life. If you ask what his favorite calling was, he would quickly answer that it was being a missionary with his sweetheart in the Portland Oregon Mission.
Allen will be deeply missed by his surviving children, Chris (Janie), Karen (Randall Nish), Eric (Amy), and Kurt (Stephanie), many grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is also survived by his younger siblings, Dawne Ashton and Doug Albach. He is now reunited with his sweetheart, Marilyn, and their first two sons, sisters Arlene (John) Tolson and Marjorie (George) Knowlden, his parents and many loved ones. Dad’s legacy will continue to live on in our lives and the lives of all those he touched.
Please join us in celebrating Allen's life on Monday, March 16, 2026. A viewing will begin at 9:00 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 10:00 a.m. at the LDS Chapel located at 2900 North 650 East Street, Provo, Utah. Allen will be interred at Eastlawn Memorial Cemetery located at 4800 N. Timpview Drive, Provo, Utah.
We invite you to leave your memories of Allen and upload photos to his memorial page so we can all share in celebrating the beautiful life he led. His spirit of service, dedication, and love will forever remain in our hearts.