John Whitaker Allen

John Whitaker Allen of Rockford, Illinois, passed away on March 4, 2026. Born to George and Lis Allen in New York City, he spent his early childhood in Germany while his father was stationed there during the Korean War. His mother often recalled dressing him in lederhosen as they settled into life in the Chicago area, where he later attended New Trier High School. He went on to study architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

After a brief youthful period of bell bottoms and long hair, John became one of the earliest Civil War reenactors in the 1970s. Over the next fifty years, he immersed himself in reenacting multiple military eras. It was at a Civil War reenactment in 1984 that he met the love of his life, Mary Ann. He proposed just months later, and they married the following year. Their daughter Elizabeth arrived a year after that, followed by their second daughter, Carrie.

What began as a hobby evolved into a business in 1987 when John taught himself to sew and began selling uniforms and souvenirs at reenactments. He and Mary Ann took their daughters on the road, traveling to more than forty states and nearly every major battlefield. Family road trips often included detours to historic sites, which his daughters initially met with groans but later came to appreciate as they shared his deep love of history. John was a man of many talents who built decks, pontoons, and two beloved clubhouses for his girls. He taught them to ride bicycles and was always ready for volleyball, badminton, swimming, or setting off fireworks.

In addition to his historical pursuits, John was an accomplished painter who created hundreds of works of art over more than fifty years and meticulously painted thousands of miniature figures from a dozen different wars. He was deeply loved by his family and is survived by his daughters Elizabeth (Mike) Falls and Carrie Allen, and his grandchildren Elliot and Emmett. He is now at rest with his beloved wife of thirty-eight years, Mary Ann.