Allen Neighbors passed away Sunday, January 31, 2010 at his home in Denton, Texas. After 20 years in Tryon, he moved with his wife, Betty, to Texas to be near their son and family.
Born May 16, 1920 on a farm in Farmersville, Illinois, Allen graduated from high school in Franklin, Indiana. He joined the Navy the day after Pearl Harbor as a yeoman. When the V12 Navy College Training Program was initiated, he was selected to participate. He studied at Dartmouth University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and earned a degree in aeronautical engineering. In the 50s, he joined Carrier Air Conditioning Corporation as a product specialist and retired to Tryon in 1983.
An active volunteer with a number of organizations in Tryon, Allen served the Tryon Rotary Club as a director for three years and then as president. He worked tirelessly for the Tryon Fine Arts Center, the American Cancer Society, and was a devoted volunteer with Hospice of the Carolina Foothills as a patient care volunteer. He was chosen to be inducted into the Second Wind Hall of Fame, an organization that honors the achievements of retired individuals.
Allen is survived by his wife Betty, son Jeffery, daughter-in-law Frances, and two granddaughters, Casey Neighbors-Rainey and Erin Neighbors. A memorial service is being planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the hospice care organization or charity of your choice.