Leo Allen

Leo Allen passed peacefully on September 18 at the age of 97.

Born in 1906 in New York City, the son of Nathan and Yetta Allen, he graduated with an accounting degree from City College of New York and passed his CPA exam when he was 23 years old.

He is survived by his daughters, Judith of Danbury, Sarah Liberman of Boston; son, David, and grandchildren, Brian and Blake of Seattle; and sister, Miriam, of Stamford. His wife, Anne, and brothers, Henry and Benjamin, and sister, Lillian, predeceased.

Leo was a founding member of Rock Ridge Country Club in Newtown. He could be found every weekend at the golf course and would love to sneak away for a round of golf during the week. He played golf into his 90s and was known for his deadly putting. In 1990, in recognition of his loyalty and devotion to the club, the ninth hole was officially named the “Leo Allen” hole. He underwrote the annual Leo Allen junior golf tournament, which will continue to further the sport for young people.

Leo moved to Danbury in 1937 and founded the CPA firm of Leo Allen & Co. the same year. In 1976, he took Jack Tyransky as a partner and the firm name changed to Allen and Tyransky, CPAs. He received an award for being a 50-year member of the Connecticut Society of CPAs in 1988. He loved his work, especially the intellectual challenge and the interaction with his clients, many of whom became lifelong friends. His mind stayed sharp and he only retired at 93 because of difficulty climbing the stairs into his Deer Hill Avenue office, but still stayed close with may friends in the business community. He was a 60-plus-year member of the Danbury Club and active in community and business organizations.

Leo served his community with extensive volunteer work including serving as a board member at the Danbury Hospital. He was a vice president of the local council of the Boy Scouts and was the president of the Danbury Community Chest, the predecessor to the United Way.

Leo was known for his sharp mind, sense of humor, generosity, devotion to his wife Anne and family, and his youthful and positive outlook. He had friends of all ages.

Funeral services were held September 22 at the United Jewish Center cemetery on Gray’s Bridge Road in Brookfield.

The Newtown Bee     September 26, 2003