Allan Charles Albright

Allan Charles Albright (February 17, 1931 – November 20, 2007) passed away from complications of a brain tumor on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. A descendant of a long line of Quakers who immigrated from England in the 1600s, grandfather Samuel Mendenhall pioneered Whittier, California – the Whittier College Administration Building and Art Gallery still bear the family name. Allan grew up in Whittier and summered at the family home on Balboa Island, CA, and later attended the University of Southern California, where he studied business and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Allan loved his time at USC and became a lifelong Trojan enthusiast and football fan. Allan attended the officer training program at USC, then entered the Marine Corps as a First Lieutenant in Quantico, Virginia and was later stationed for active duty in San Francisco. He and first wife Jackie Davis had two children and moved to Balboa Island where he remained in the Marine Corps Ready Reserves for six more years. He returned to USC for graduate study in architecture, and designed, built and decorated his first home in Whittier California which was featured on local home tours and in the L.A. Times Home Magazine. Allan later worked on architecture and land development projects in the Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Aspen, Colorado and Hilton Head, South Carolina areas. Inspired by mother Lois, Allan had a keen sense of aesthetics and a passion for art, architecture, fashion and beauty. He could often be found on the beach or at the local Barnes & Nobles perusing various fashion and interior design magazines. His love of art prompted him to help found the Newport Harbor Art Museum (later the Orange County Museum of Art) to bring art to Orange County. He helped curate their first show at the Pavilion on Newport Harbor and on John Wayne’s boat the Grey Goose, moored out front. Allan loved to travel to Europe, and enjoyed buying and importing cars from there. He later moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina where he met his beloved wife Gaynell. Married 17 years, Gaynell and Allan have been active members of the Church of the Cross in Bluffton. Allan is survived by his wife Gaynell, daughter Julie, son Brad (Kathy), stepchildren Hunter (Clay), Graham (Jennifer), and five grandsons – Justin, Levi, Payne, Stewart and Grayson. Services will be held Sunday at 3 pm at the Church of the Cross, followed by a reception.