George Allen Jr. ... oversaw Opera House rehab; at 83

ROCHESTER - George E. Allen Jr. 83, of Rochester died on Tuesday Feb. 22, 2022, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital after a brief illness.

George was born May 13, 1938 in Topsham, Maine, the son of George E. Sr. and Emily (Ordway) Allen. He has resided in Rochester since 1972. He attended Brunswick High School Class of 57.

George started his career at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from 1958 to 1964. In 1964 he went on to work at the Bath Iron Works, Hyde division. In 1968 he relocated to Combustion Eng. in Billerica, Mass., and Newington.

In 1982 he founded OASIS (Optical Alignment Systems & Inspection Services, Inc.) a precision alignment service primarily for the paper industry. He sold OASIS in the 1994 and "retired". In retirement he enjoyed traveling with his wife Sue. He was an avid golfer and outdoorsman. He enjoyed fly fishing and partridge and deer hunting.

In 1997 George toured the vacant and crumbling Rochester Opera House. He became interested in the theater's unique mechanical system and extraordinary potential. He assembled a motley crew of concerned citizens including then Major Harvey Bernier. Together they spearheaded a 3 million dollar renovation of the historic theater. He spent weekends with a legion of volunteers coordinating the repairs. He not only engineered the repairs but spent countless hours doing hands on labor. In 1999 the theater reopened and George was there...on stage performing in drag! No job was beyond his realm of talent. He continued his association with The Rochester Opera House and remained a valuable family member of all things Rochester Opera. The theater that he rediscovered 25 years ago has flourished and grown to a $2 million operation that employees dozens of people and is the cornerstone of an emerging downtown.

In 2004 he and his son Dan invented an ice fishing tip-up and started the company Cam-Fish.

Members of his family include his loving wife of 43 years, Suzanne (Chamberland) Allen: sons, Daniel Allen, his wife Cheri of Rochester, their sons Joshua and Jacob; Donald Allen, his wife Pam of Walpole, their children Ian, Devin, Kaitlynn, Allicyn; daughter, Darcy Clay and her husband Will of Rochester and children Erin and Zachary; and 10 great grandchildren; sister Judith Cornish of Harpswell, Maine, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by brothers, Arthur and Burleigh Allen.