Allan Howard Willand

Allan Howard Willand, 82, was born in Newton, Massachusetts on the 23rd of December 1938 to Helen Preston (McNab) Willand and Howard A. Willand. Soon after the family moved to the Payson Park area of Belmont, Massachusetts where they resided until the late 70’s. During Allan’s early years the family often visited Howard’s families’ farm and later summered on Lake Wentworth in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. They also visited Helen’s family beach property in Acoaxet, Massachusetts where the family had had a summer cottage prior to 1938. Hay lofts, fishing, and surf were wonderful places for a growing child. Upon graduation from Belmont High School in 1956, Allan studied at the University of New Hampshire and the Franklin Institute in Boston (graduating in 1963 with Honor) before joining the Army. He spent most of his Army time working on communications and communications security while stationed on Iwo Jima. Upon his discharge he went to work for Bell Labs specializing in communications and computers, gaining several patents in the process. He lived in a variety of towns in northeastern New Jersey, including Red Bank and West Long Branch. He enjoyed travel in his spare time, particularly to an Outward Bound course, motorcycle trips, helping at the local SPCA, observing the birds in his backyard, scuba diving to sunken ships off the Jersey shore and attending monthly luncheons with other Bell Labs’ retirees. He regularly returned to southern New England to visit family and friends. At Christmas time he would visit his McNab cousins and was a wonderful semi-Santa for the young children as he always arrived with the most fascinating toys often courtesy of FAO Schwarz. Watching the two younger kids and Allan on the floor made it clear all three were having fun. A private family burial will take place in Walnut Hills Cemetery in Massachusetts.