Combat Veteran of Iwo Jima, USM History Professor, Chief-of-Staff for Governors
HOLLIS- Allen Gardner Pease of Salmon Falls, Hollis, Maine, a long-time college professor and state administrator, died on May 31st from pulmonary causes at age 89. He was the youngest son of Sanford Howard Pease and Azubah Myrick Pease, born on July 10, 1925 in his mother’s bed on the family farm adjoining Pease Pond in Wilton, Maine. He was predeceased by his parents and siblings, Mildred Pease Andrews of Auburn, Maine, Rolliston A. Pease of Tijeras, New Mexico, and Myrick Howard Pease of Long Beach, California. Violet Pease, his best friend and wife for fifty-six years predeceased him in 2011. He was always known as Gardner within his family, school mates, and others until he became Allen when he joined the Marine Corps.
He received his elementary education in a one-room schoolhouse in Wilton. He was elected president of his senior class at Wilton Academy, graduating from high school age 16 in 1942. Most of his male classmates were soon in military service as we were at war since 1941. Too young for the service, he worked during the summer at Wilton Woolen Mill, then traveled to Texas, where he worked in a steel mill as a machinist.
Allen enlisted in the Marine Corp from Houston and served in the Pacific area until discharged in 1946. At Tinian, he saw hundreds of B-29’s heading to bomb Japan, more leaving than returning the next morning. He joined three Marine divisions heading north and told of plans to attack Iwo Jima. Allen’s assignment was to drive an amphibian tractor with three teams of naval gunfire spotters to the beach below Mt. Suribachi 15 minutes before the H-hour assault. That accomplished, the island was quiet so Pease’s vehicle returned to its LST ship. As Allen recalled, “we passed back through the first four assault waves and greeted them with an old Marine Corps slogan ‘you’ll be sorry’ and they surely were when all hell soon broke loose. Iwo was bloody, full of snipers, and became our home for a month.”
After Iwo, he returned to Hawaii and trained for an assault on Japan until the surrender in September, 1945. Upon discharge, he returned to his family in Wilton, his first time home in three years.
Like other veterans of World War II, he considered himself well treated by the G.I. Bill that provided financial aid to buy a house or attend college, and Allen did both. In the fall of 1946, he enrolled for a year of liberal arts courses at Farmington State Teachers College where he joined Kappa Delta Phi fraternity and lived in its frat house, played varsity basketball and baseball. He met Violet Call, an economics major, planning to be a high-school teacher. Vi was the oldest child from a farm family in Levant, Maine, lithe and attractive, their friendship ripened to love and marriage in 1950 in Bangor.
Allen then transferred to Colby College where he earned a cum laude degree in history in 1950 and was elected to honor society Phi Beta Kappa and received the Lampert History Award.
The couple moved to Columbus, Ohio where he spent three graduate years in the study of political science at Ohio State University. In 1953, Vi and Allen had their first child (Pamela) in Dayton. A visit to Maine that summer resulted in his return to Farmington State Teachers College as instructor in Social Studies. Two years later, he accepted a similar position at Aroostook State Teachers College in Presque Isle, where he also was also athletic director and basketball and baseball coach. In 1957, he transferred to Gorham State Teachers College as assistant professor in history and government, thence Allen joined the history and government faculty at the University of Maine as associate professor at the Portland campus of the University where he served as chairman of the political science department. By this time, the Pease family had grown to three children with the addition of Sanford and Belinda.
In the autumn of 1966, Governor-elect Kenneth Curtis invited Allen to take leave from the University and serve as his chief administrative assistant. The family moved to Augusta and into the Staff House adjacent to the Blaine House that would be their home for eight years, although they maintained their house summer residence at Salmon Falls, Hollis. Allen enjoyed being Chief-of- Staff to Governor Curtis, and Vi Pease became Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party.
At the conclusion of the two terms in office of Governor Curtis, Allen returned to the political science department at the University of Southern Maine, but not for long! Governor James Longley had been elected as an Independent candidate and asked Allen to assist him during the transition. Subsequently, in 1975 Allen resigned from the University and became Director of Maine State Planning Office under Governor Longley for four years, and Governor Joseph Brennan for two years. In all, Allen spent about fourteen years as a cabinet level administrator in Augusta. He also served as Chairman of the Governor’s Task Force on Government Reorganization in 1976 and the Maine Capitol Planning Commission. He was elected national President of the Council of State Planning Agencies in 1979.
Leaving State government work, Allen returned to USM as senior researcher and director of a Partnership Program for the University and Maine State Government. He then rejoined President Curtis for three years at Maine Maritime Academy as assistant to the President.
Upon retirement, Allen remained active. He was an accomplished vegetable and landscape gardener. He participated in several sports, continuing to play half-court basketball at USM Gorham until he turned eighty-seven. For over twenty years, he remained a member of Hollis and York County Democratic Committees, served as town ballot clerk, and attended Democratic State and National Conventions. In 2001, the Annual Report of the Town of Hollis was dedicated to Allen and Violet Pease.
As a university professor, Allen was editor and author of several important publications including “THE CURTIS YEARS” and “MAINE: FIFTY YEARS OF CHANGE”, as well as co-author, Horan and Others, “DOWNEAST POLITICS: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF MAINE”. In 2008, his memoir was published: “CHRONICLES OF A MAINE FAMILY”.
He was predeceased by his parents, siblings and his wife Violet. He is survived by his three children: Pamela Sue Pease, PhD and her husband Paul Donovan, PhD of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Sanford Howard Pease and his wife Sara Sjulander Pease of Buxton, Maine; Belinda Evelyn Pease of Portland, Maine; and two grandchildren, Daniel Allen Pease and Victoria Ann Pease of Buxton, and a niece, Ann Pease, Tijerras, New Mexico, and her children and grandchildren, Sister-in-law Joyce Epstein, Simsbury, CT and her children and grandchildren, his brother-in-law Norman Call, Levant, Maine and his children and grandchildren; his cousin Judith Gilmore M.D. and daughter Lisa Kelley.
Allen was extremely appreciative of his children whose generosity of time and money allowed him to live alone in his final years and enjoy his home and grounds bordering the Saco River. He also appreciated the help of neighbors and continued friendship with former colleagues with whom he played competitive basketball at USM Gorham, aka “The Mature Men of USM”.
His cremains will be interred in South Buxton Cemetery in a family burial. In lieu of flowers any donations may be made in the name of Violet or Allen Pease to Salmon Falls Library, Hollis Center, Maine, 04042.
A Memorial Service will be at the First Congregational Church of Buxton (Tory Hill Meetinghouse), located on River Road/Rt. 112 on June 27, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate his life. A full Bio is available at www.mainefuneral.com.
“A man is measured not only by how long he lives, but also by how intensely he lives.” Such was the consummate life of Allen Gardner Pease: combat veteran, history professor, and Maine state administrator.
Arrangements are with Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, 498 Long Plains Road, Buxton.
ALLEN PEASE ---OBITUARY Draft
Allen Gardner Pease of Salmon Falls, Hollis,Maine, a long-time college teacher and state administrator, died on May 1 from pulmonary causes. He was the youngest son of Sanford Howard Pease and Azubah Myrick Pease, born on July 10, 1925 in his mother’s bed on the family farm adjoining Pease Pond in Wilton, Maine. He was predeceased by his parents and siblings, Mildred Pease Andrews of Auburn, Maine, Rolliston A. Pease of Tijeras, New Mexico, and Myrick Howard Pease of Long Beach, California. Violet Pease, his best friend and wife for fifty-six years predeceased him in 2011. He was always known as Gardner within his family, school mates and others until he became Allen when he joined the Marine Corps. He has been Allen or Al ever since.
His father sold the farm in 1927 bought a Model A Ford touring sedan and moved the family to live on Balboa Island, California. The sale collapsed with the stock market and the Peases returned in 1929 to claim and restock the Wilton farm. Gardner had lost his chance to be a California beach bum.
He received his elementary education at the one-room schoolhouse at McCrillis Corner in Wilton. Since his mother was his teacher for his first three years he learned at age four to address her as Mrs. Pease at school and “Muma” at home. His high school years were uneventful although he was elected president of his senior class at Wilton Academy and graduated at age 16 in 1942. Most of his male classmates were soon in military service as we were at war since 1941. Too young for the service he worked during the summer at Wilton Woolen Mill until invited by cousin Mary Currier and new husband Ray Gilmore to accompany them westward and he accepted.
For a month the cousins traveled west in Ray’s old Ford V-8, site-seeing and for two weeks visiting Ray’s southern relatives in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Although the Civil War had ended seventy years ago we found it fresh in the minds of some older people. Both of Gardner’s grandfathers and two grand uncles had served in the Union army. As “Yankees” he and Mary were sometimes treated rudely. Continuing to Texas they found work in Houston. Gardner worked for a year in a steel mill as a clerk-timekeeper and 3rd class machinist. For the first time he faced Texan separation of races for bus, restaurants, restrooms, drinking fountains and social life. He matured a lot that year both socially and at work. Turning 18 in July of 1943 he declined work deferment as he decided to join the service.
Allen enlisted in the Marine Corp from Houston and served in the Pacific area until discharged in 1946. He did boot camp at San Diego and advanced training at Camp Pendleton, California and in Hawaii. At Tinian he saw hundreds of B-29’s heading to bomb Japan, more leaving than returning the next morning. He joined three Marine divisions heading north and told of plans to attack Iwo Jma. Allen’s assignment was to drive an amphibian tractor with three teams of naval gunfire spotters to the beach below Mt. Suribachi 15 minutes before the H-hour assault. That accomplished, the island was quiet so Pease’s vehicle returned to its LST ship. As Allen recalled, “we passed through the first four assault waves and greeted them with an old Marine Corps slogan “you”ll be sorry” and they surely were when all hell soon broke loose and Iwo was bloody and Iwo became our home for a month.”
After Iwo he returned to Hawaii and trained for an assault on Japan until the surrender in September , 1945. Months later he was sent to Treasure Island, San Francisco waiting for discharge that he expected to be in Texas. He was especially close to two girl-friends and had made arrangements to visit. Instead Allen was discharged in Bainbridge, Maryland. With some regrets he chose to return to his family in Wilton, his first time home in three years. This proved to be an important decision. He did not return to Houston for twenty-five years and never saw his Texas friends again.
Like other veterans of World War II he considered himself well treated by the G.I. Bill that provided financial aid to buy a house, start a business or attend college. Allen was eager to further his education so in the fall of 1946 he enrolled for a year of liberal arts courses at Farmington State Teachers College where he joined Kappa Delta Phi fraternity and lived in its frat house, played varsity basketball and baseball and did well in his courses. He met and often dated Violet Call an economics major planning to be a high-school teacher. Vi was the oldest child from a farm family in Levant, Maine, lithe and attractive, their friendship ripened to love and marriage in 1950.
It was time to plan his future. Based on interests, college courses and counseling he began to prepare for a career as a journalist, public employee, or teacher and transferred to Ohio University where he credited his ability for written expression to George Starr Lasher, the legendary Chairman of the School of Journalism. While in Ohio he became reunited with his Marine Corps team of Bill Myers in Columbus and Kent Burkholder in Lima. Allen then transferred to Colby College where he became something of a protégé of history Professor Paul Fullam. He earned a cum laude degree in history in 1950 and was elected to honor society Phi Beta Kappa and received the Lampert History Award.
Vi and Al meshed well and worked three summers together at the Lakewood Summer Theater resort in Madison, Maine. Allen worked with food preparation and during his last year supervised the Shanty Lunch short-order food and beverage operation. After he graduated from Colby College Al and Vi were married in Bangor and soon moved to Columbus, Ohio where he spent three graduate years in the study of political science at The Ohio State University; as a graduate assistant he taught national and state government classes at the University. While attending graduate school Allen was selected as a summer intern in the central secretariat of Economic Cooperation Administration in Washington, D.C. In 1953 he was employed as a training specialist with the Department of Defense in Dayton, Ohio.
In 1953 Vi and Allen had their first child in Dayton. A visit to Maine that summer resulted in his return to Farmington State Teachers College as instructor in social studies. Two years later he accepted a similar position at Aroostook State Teachers College in Presque Isle, Maine, where he also was also athletic director and basketball and baseball coach .In 1957 he transferred to Gorham State Teachers College as assistant professor in history and government, and entered a doctoral program in Government at Boston University. At Gorham he was chairman of the social science division in 1962-63. From 1963 to 1975 Allen joined the history and government faculty at the University of Maine and became associate professor of political science at the Portland campus of the University and served as chairman of the political science department.
The Pease family with their three children had lived nine years in the Groveville area of Buxton when they purchased their present home in the Salmon Falls area of Hollis. For several years Allen had worked with Democratic candidates for public office and had volunteered on issues and programs for Kenneth Curtis during his campaigns for Congress and Governor. In the autumn of 1966 Governor-elect Kenneth Curtis invited Allen to take a leave from the University and serve as his chief administrative assistant.The Pease’s thought this was a rare personal and professional opportunity and the Trustees agreed to place him on unpaid leave from the University of Maine .In January, 1967 the family with three children moved to new schools in Augusta and into a remodeled staff house adjacent to the Blaine House that would be their home for eight years, although they maintained their house and summer residence in Hollis. Allen enjoyed being chief of staff to Governor Curtis and Vi Pease became Vice-chair then Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party.
At the conclusion of the two terms in office of Governor Curtis Allen returned to the political science department in what was now a combined Portland and Gorham institution. Governor James Longley had been elected as an Independent candidate and asked Allen to assist him during the transition. Subsequently, in 1975 Allen resigned from the University and became Director of Maine State Planning Office under Governor Longley for four and Governor Joseph Brennan for two years.
In all Allen spent about fourteen years as a cabinet level administrator in Augusta. He represented the Governor on the Maine Education Council, Maine School Building Authority, and New England River Basins Commission. He was a member of the Historic Preservation Commission, Food and Farmland Study Commission, Critical Areas Advisory Board, Criminal Justice Planning and Assistance Agency, and Commission on Maine’s Future. Allen also served as Chairman of Governor’s Task Force on Government Reorganization in 1976 and the Maine Capitol Planning Commission. He was elected national President of the Council of State Planning Agencies during 1979-80.
Leaving State government work Allen taught extension courses in national and state governments for University of Maine at Augusta prior to returning to the University of Southern Maine as senior researcher and director of a Partnership Program for the University and Maine State Government. In 1984 85 he was a consulting planner for Motor Vehicle Division, Secretary of State. He spent several years as a real estate broker with TEAM REALTY in Bar Mills, Buxton and rejoined President Curtis for three years at Maine Maritime Academy as assistant to the President.
During his lifetime Allen Pease was active as a member and leader for a number of voluntary organizations and community activities, including membership in political science association, The American Legion, and American Planning Association. He served on the Executive Board of Maine Association of Planners. In leadership positions Allen was President of Maine Conference of University Professors in 1970-1971, President of National Chapter, Kappa Delta Phi, 1960-62, assistant director for political programs, Dirigo Boys State, 1957-1966, Secretary and Executive Committee Member and Secretary, University of Southern Maine Retirees Association, and President and Executive Committee Member, Maine Association of Retirees, 1992-1999..
Since retiring in the early eighties Allen remained active. He enjoyed opening his home For Christmas, Thanksgiving, and family birthdays. He was an accomplished vegetable and landscape gardener. He participated in several sports, continuing to play half-court basketball at USM Gorham gym until he turned eighty-seven. He read widely and used the computer and Internet to communicate with friends and conduct research for writings in genealogy, family history, and personal memoirs. He served as member and vice-chairman of Hollis Planning Board and volunteered for book acquisitions, desk duty, and maintenance at Salmon Falls Library where he also worked with the Friends of the library association. For over twenty years he remained a member of Hollis and York County Democratic Committees, assisted candidates, served as town ballot clerk, and attended most Democratic State Conventions. In 2001 the Annual Report of the Town of Hollis was dedicated to Allen and Violet Pease.
As a professor Allen prepared many unpublished manuscripts on politics, economic development, and public administration for class instruction and while state administrator wrote manuals, reports, and messages. The most important include:
Author and editor, THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE IN MAINE, Executive Department, 1972
Co-author, Horan and Others, DOWNEAST POLITICS: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF MAINE. Kendall Hunt, 1975.
Editor and writer. THE CURTIS YEARS, Executive Department, State of Maine. Maine, 1975
Editor and writer, MAINE: FIFTY YEARS OF CHANGE, University-State Partnership Program.
During retirement years Allen’s research in genealogy resulted in a 2006 printing of ANCESTORS, DESCENDANTS & RELATIVES OF Allen Pease and Violet Call. In 2008 he published Vol I of his memoir CHRONICLES OF A MAINE FAMILY and at his death was writing chapters for Vol II.
He was predeceased by his parents and siblings and his wife Violet.
Allen was survived by his three children: Pamela Sue Pease, Phd and her husband Paul Donovan, Phd of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Sanford Howard Pease and his wife Sara Sjulander Pease of Buxton, Maine; Belinda Evelyn Pease of Portland, Maine; and two grandchildren, Daniel Allen Pease and Victoria Ann Pease of Buxton, and a niece, Ann Pease, Tijerras, New Mexico, and her children and grandchildren, Sister-in-law Joyce Epstein, Simsbury, CT and her children and grandchildren , his brother-law Norman Call, Levant, Maine and his children and grandchildren. His cousin Judith Gilmore M.D. R.I. and daughter Lisa Kelley, and also survived by several other cousins, grand-nieces, and nephews.
Allen was extremely appreciative of his children whose generosity of time and money allowed him to live alone and enjoy his home and grounds bordering the Saco River. He also appreciated the help of neighbors and continued friendship with former colleagues and participants in athletics at the USM gym in Gorham.